---
title: Starting a Llama Stack Server
description: Different ways to run Llama Stack servers - as library, container, or Kubernetes deployment
sidebar_label: Starting Llama Stack Server
sidebar_position: 7
---

# Starting a Llama Stack Server

You can run a Llama Stack server in one of the following ways:

## As a Library:

This is the simplest way to get started. Using Llama Stack as a library means you do not need to start a server. This is especially useful when you are not running inference locally and relying on an external inference service (eg. fireworks, together, groq, etc.) See [Using Llama Stack as a Library](importing_as_library)


## Container:

Another simple way to start interacting with Llama Stack is to just spin up a container (via Docker or Podman) which is pre-built with all the providers you need. We provide a number of pre-built images so you can start a Llama Stack server instantly. You can also build your own custom container. Which distribution to choose depends on the hardware you have. See [Selection of a Distribution](./list_of_distributions) for more details.

## Kubernetes:

If you have built a container image and want to deploy it in a Kubernetes cluster instead of starting the Llama Stack server locally. See [Kubernetes Deployment Guide](../deploying/kubernetes_deployment) for more details.


## Configure logging

Control log output via environment variables before starting the server.

- `LLAMA_STACK_LOGGING` sets per-component levels, e.g. `LLAMA_STACK_LOGGING=server=debug;core=info`.
- Supported categories: `all`, `core`, `server`, `router`, `inference`, `agents`, `safety`, `eval`, `tools`, `client`.
- Levels: `debug`, `info`, `warning`, `error`, `critical` (default is `info`). Use `all=<level>` to apply globally.
- `LLAMA_STACK_LOG_FILE=/path/to/log` mirrors logs to a file while still printing to stdout.

Export these variables prior to running `llama stack run`, launching a container, or starting the server through any other pathway.

```{toctree}
:maxdepth: 1
:hidden:

importing_as_library
configuration
```
