{"slug": "nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-an-os", "title": "NightRun UEFI application boots a local LLM on Raspberry Pi 5 and x86 PCs without an OS", "summary": "NightRun, an experimental open-source UEFI application written in Rust, boots a local large language model directly into RAM on 64-bit x86_64 PCs (with Secure Boot disabled) and Raspberry Pi 5, bypassing a conventional operating system to free memory and bandwidth for AI inference. The project, reported by CNX Software, loads quantized models of 1.3 GB to 2.4 GB, verifies CRC-32 checksums, and seals storage after boot to prevent disk reads.", "body_md": "Running LLMs locally on an SBC or mini PC is a good way to keep your data private, but they typically require a conventional operating system, which uses a good portion of system memory. NightRun is an experimental open-source project that addresses this issue by booting a machine directly into a local LLM from a USB drive or microSD card, without loading a conventional OS. By removing the operating system, NightRun makes more RAM and memory bandwidth available for AI inference. The runtime is written in Rust, and during boot it loads a quantized model (1.3 GB to 2.4 GB) directly into RAM while verifying its CRC-32 checksums. After the model is loaded, storage is “sealed,” meaning any later attempt to read from the disk will trigger a hard fault. NightRun key features: Hardware support – Supports 64-bit x86_64 UEFI PCs (Secure Boot disabled) and Raspberry Pi 5 via USB [...]\n\nThe post [NightRun UEFI application boots a local LLM on Raspberry Pi 5 and x86 PCs without an OS](https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/07/30/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-without-an-os/) appeared first on [CNX Software - Embedded Systems News](https://www.cnx-software.com).", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-an-os", "canonical_source": "https://www.cnx-software.com/2026/07/30/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-without-an-os/", "published_at": "2026-07-30 08:10:44+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-05 11:52:48.007101+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "large-language-models", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["NightRun", "Raspberry Pi 5", "CNX Software"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-an-os", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-an-os.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-an-os.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/nightrun-uefi-application-boots-a-local-llm-on-raspberry-pi-5-and-x86-pcs-an-os.jsonld"}}