---
title: "Jan v0.6.6: Enhanced llama.cpp integration and smarter model management"
version: 0.6.6
description: "Major llama.cpp improvements, Hugging Face provider support, and refined MCP experience"
date: 2025-07-31
ogImage: "https://catalog.jan.ai/docs/changelog0.6.6.gif"
---

import ChangelogHeader from "@/components/Changelog/ChangelogHeader"

<ChangelogHeader title="Jan v0.6.6: Enhanced llama.cpp integration and smarter model management" date="2025-01-31" ogImage="https://catalog.jan.ai/docs/changelog0.6.6.gif" />

## Highlights 🎉

Jan v0.6.6 delivers significant improvements to the llama.cpp backend, introduces Hugging Face as a
built-in provider, and brings smarter model management with auto-unload capabilities. This release
also includes numerous MCP refinements and platform-specific enhancements.

### 🚀 Major llama.cpp Backend Overhaul

We've completely revamped the llama.cpp integration with:
- **Smart Backend Management**: The backend now auto-updates and persists your settings properly
- **Device Detection**: Jan automatically detects available GPUs and hardware capabilities
- **Direct llama.cpp Access**: Models now interface directly with llama.cpp (previously hidden behind Cortex)
- **Automatic Migration**: Your existing models seamlessly move from Cortex to direct llama.cpp management
- **Better Error Handling**: Clear error messages when models fail to load, with actionable solutions
- **Per-Model Overrides**: Configure specific settings for individual models

### 🤗 Hugging Face Cloud Router Integration

Connect to Hugging Face's new cloud inference service:
- Access pre-configured models running on various providers (Fireworks, Together AI, and more)
- Hugging Face handles the routing to the best available provider
- Simplified setup with just your HF token
- Non-deletable provider status to prevent accidental removal
- Note: Direct model ID search in Hub remains available as before

### 🧠 Smarter Model Management

New intelligent features to optimize your system resources:
- **Auto-Unload Old Models**: Automatically free up memory by unloading unused models
- **Persistent Settings**: Your model capabilities and settings now persist across app restarts
- **Zero GPU Layers Support**: Set N-GPU Layers to 0 for CPU-only inference
- **Memory Calculation Improvements**: More accurate memory usage reporting

### 🎯 MCP Refinements

Enhanced MCP experience with:
- Tool approval dialog improvements with scrollable parameters
- Better experimental feature edge case handling
- Fixed tool call button disappearing issue
- JSON editing tooltips for easier configuration
- Auto-focus on "Always Allow" action for smoother workflows

### 📚 New MCP Integration Tutorials

Comprehensive guides for powerful MCP integrations:
- **Canva MCP**: Create and manage designs through natural language - generate logos, presentations, and marketing materials directly from chat
- **Browserbase MCP**: Control cloud browsers with AI - automate web tasks, extract data, and monitor sites without complex scripting
- **Octagon Deep Research MCP**: Access finance-focused research capabilities - analyze markets, investigate companies, and generate investment insights

### 🖥️ Platform-Specific Improvements

**Windows:**
- Fixed terminal windows popping up during model loading
- Better process termination handling
- VCRuntime included in installer for compatibility
- Improved NSIS installer with app running checks

**Linux:**
- AppImage now works properly with newest Tauri version and it went from almost 1GB to less than 200MB
- Better Wayland compatibility

**macOS:**
- Improved build process and artifact naming

### 🎨 UI/UX Enhancements

Quality of life improvements throughout:
- Fixed rename thread dialog showing incorrect thread names
- Assistant instructions now have proper defaults
- Download progress indicators remain visible when scrolling
- Better error pages with clearer messaging
- GPU detection now shows accurate backend information
- Improved clickable areas for better usability

### 🔧 Developer Experience

Behind the scenes improvements:
- New automated QA system using CUA (Computer Use Automation)
- Standardized build process across platforms
- Enhanced error stream handling and parsing
- Better proxy support for the new downloader
- Reasoning format support for advanced models

### 🐛 Bug Fixes

Notable fixes include:
- Factory reset no longer fails with access denied errors
- OpenRouter provider stays selected properly
- Model search in Hub shows latest data only
- Temporary download files are cleaned up on cancel
- Legacy threads no longer appear above new threads
- Fixed encoding issues on various platforms

## Breaking Changes

- Models previously managed by Cortex now interface directly with llama.cpp (automatic migration included)
- Some sampling parameters have been removed from the llama.cpp extension for consistency
- Cortex extension is deprecated in favor of direct llama.cpp integration

## Coming Next

We're working on expanding MCP capabilities, improving model download speeds, and adding more provider
integrations. Stay tuned!

Update your Jan or [download the latest](https://jan.ai/).

For the complete list of changes, see the [GitHub release notes](https://github.com/menloresearch/jan/releases/tag/v0.6.6).
