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wtf is lms?

lmstudio-ai/lms — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-26

4,799TypeScriptAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5Setup · moderate

TL;DR

The official command-line tool bundled with LM Studio that lets you start and stop its local AI server, list downloaded models, load or unload models into memory, and stream live logs, all from a terminal.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((lms CLI))
    Model management
      List downloaded models
      Load model into memory
      Unload to free RAM
    Server control
      Start local server
      Stop server
      Check server status
    Developer tools
      Create new project
      Stream live logs
      Per-command help
    Tech
      TypeScript
      lmstudio.js monorepo

Code map

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filefunction / class

Why would anyone build with this?

REASON 1

Control LM Studio from a terminal, start the server, check which models are loaded, and free memory by unloading models you're not using.

REASON 2

Create a new coding project that connects to a locally running AI model via LM Studio's JavaScript library.

REASON 3

Stream real-time logs from LM Studio to debug model behavior during development.

REASON 4

List all downloaded AI models and see which are actively loaded in memory with a single command.

What's in the stack?

TypeScriptNode.js

How it stacks up

lmstudio-ai/lmslinuxhsj/openclaw-zero-tokenactions/setup-node
Stars4,7994,7954,793
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultymoderatemoderateeasy
Complexity2/53/51/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you spin it up?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 5min

Bundled with LM Studio 0.2.22+, contributors must clone the full lmstudio.js monorepo to build from source.

Wtf does this do

This is the official command-line tool for LM Studio, a desktop application that lets people run AI language models directly on their own computer. The tool is called lms and it comes bundled with LM Studio versions 0.2.22 and newer, so most users already have it without needing to install anything extra. From a terminal window, lms gives you typed commands to control what LM Studio is doing. You can check whether LM Studio is running, start or stop its local server, see which AI models you have downloaded, and see which models are currently loaded and ready to respond. Commands like lms ls list your downloaded models, while lms ps shows models that are actively in memory. You can also load or unload individual models by name, which lets you control how much of your computer's memory is in use. Beyond model management, lms also has a command to create a new coding project that connects to LM Studio through its software library, and a command to stream live logs so you can watch what LM Studio is doing in real time. Every subcommand has its own --help flag that explains its options, so you do not need to memorize syntax. The tool is written in TypeScript and is part of a larger collection of code called the lmstudio.js monorepo. It cannot be built in isolation, contributors need to clone the full monorepo and build the whole set before testing their changes. The README is brief and the project's main home for documentation is the LM Studio website rather than the repository itself.

Yoink these prompts

Prompt 1
Using the lms CLI from LM Studio, write a shell script that starts the LM Studio server, waits for it to be ready, loads a specific model by name, and sends a test prompt.
Prompt 2
Show me how to use lms ls and lms ps to see my downloaded models and currently loaded models, then unload a model to free RAM.
Prompt 3
I want to build a new TypeScript project that connects to my local LM Studio server. Show me how to use lms create and what the generated starter code looks like.
Prompt 4
Write a Bash one-liner using lms log stream that monitors LM Studio in real time and stops when it sees a specific error pattern in the output.

Frequently asked questions

wtf is lms?

The official command-line tool bundled with LM Studio that lets you start and stop its local AI server, list downloaded models, load or unload models into memory, and stream live logs, all from a terminal.

What language is lms written in?

Mainly TypeScript. The stack also includes TypeScript, Node.js.

How hard is lms to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is lms for?

Mainly developer.

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