open source
Desktop & local task models
A portable task model turns trained adapter weights, a classifier head, and a taxonomy into a local classifier someone else can install and test. The package stays small because the compatible base model is downloaded once and managed separately by Understudy Desktop.
What you need
| requirement | why it matters |
|---|---|
| Understudy Desktop v0.3.35 or later | Earlier releases do not recognize the portable task-model contract. |
A .understudy-model or .zip file | This contains the task-specific weights, taxonomy, manifest, and integrity records. Desktop extracts it for you. |
| The base model named in manifest.json | The package references the base by id instead of duplicating its much larger weights. |
| Apple silicon with enough free storage and memory | The current portable runtime uses MLX-VLM and runs locally on the Mac. |
Install and test
- Open Models and download the base model identified by the package. If it is missing, Desktop stops and names the model you need rather than attempting an unapproved download.
- Open Trained models and drag the downloaded
.understudy-modelor.zipdirectly onto the window. - Wait for verification. Desktop checks the manifest, every file size, and every SHA-256 digest before installing anything.
- Select the installed model, enter a new example, and choose Run locally. The result shows the predicted detailed category, confidence, and elapsed time.
What stays local
Installation and inference do not send the example to an API. Desktop reads the verified package and cached base model from the Mac, then runs the fixed MLX-VLM classifier runtime shipped with the app. The package is not added to the general chat-model picker: it is a task-specific classifier inside Trained models.
Common failures
| message or symptom | what to do |
|---|---|
| Required base model is not downloaded | Open Models and download the exact base-model id named by the package. |
| Archive does not contain exactly one package root | Ask the publisher for a package with one manifest at its root or inside one .understudy-model directory. |
| Digest or byte-count mismatch | Do not use the package. Download it again from the publisher's trusted link. |
| Unsupported schema or runtime | Update Desktop, or ask the publisher for a package compatible with your installed release. |
| Same id and version, different contents | Ask the publisher for a new version number. Desktop refuses silent replacement of an installed release. |
For package authors
The package contract is versioned independently of Desktop. Read the .understudy-model format reference for the manifest, path, integrity, and runtime requirements.