### Installation with `uv`

The `uv` runtime manager ensures seamless Python environment management for applications like Open WebUI. Follow these steps to get started:

#### 1. Install `uv`

Pick the appropriate installation command for your operating system:

- **macOS/Linux**:

  ```bash
  curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
  ```

- **Windows**:

  ```powershell
  powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
  ```

#### 2. Run Open WebUI

Once `uv` is installed, running Open WebUI is a breeze. Use the command below, ensuring to set the `DATA_DIR` environment variable to avoid data loss. Example paths are provided for each platform:

- **macOS/Linux**:

  ```bash
  DATA_DIR=~/.open-webui uvx --python 3.11 open-webui@latest serve
  ```

- **Windows** (PowerShell):

  ```powershell
  $env:DATA_DIR="C:\open-webui\data"; uvx --python 3.11 open-webui@latest serve
  ```

:::tip Why set DATA_DIR?
Setting `DATA_DIR` ensures your chats and settings are saved in a predictable location. If you don't set it, `uvx` might store it in a temporary folder that gets deleted when the process ends.
:::

## Uninstall

To remove Open WebUI when running with `uvx`:

1.  **Stop the Server:**
    Press `Ctrl+C` in the terminal where it's running.

2.  **Available cleanup commands:**
    The `uvx` command runs the application ephemerally or from cache. To remove cached components:
    ```bash
    uv cache clean
    ```

3.  **Remove Data (WARNING: Deletes all data):**
    Delete your data directory (default is `~/.open-webui` or the path set in `DATA_DIR`):
    ```bash
    rm -rf ~/.open-webui
    ```