In the realm of AI, technological advancements, techniques, and libraries evolve at a pace faster than the influx of spam emails flooding your inbox daily.
Keeping abreast of all the latest developments in the field can be daunting. Traditionally, hefty VRAM and beefed-up graphics cards were considered indispensable for handling the mathematical intricacies of AI tasks. However, this narrative is shifting. Software is now being optimized to leverage plain CPUs for AI tasks, democratizing the ability to generate AI images without relying on specialized hardware. Though the process may be slower, the accessibility it offers is invaluable.
For newcomers, the plethora of terminology and technicalities can be overwhelming. It’s advisable to first familiarize yourself with concepts such as “a model,” “lora,” “controlnet,” etc. Numerous analytical videos on platforms like YouTube can aid in this endeavor.
Enter FastSD CPU.
FastSD CPU represents an accelerated iteration of Stable Diffusion tailored for CPU usage. Leveraging Latent Consistency Models and Adversarial Diffusion Distillation, this software opens the doors to AI image generation on a wide range of devices, including Windows, Linux, and even the Raspberry Pi 4.
To get started, visit https://github.com/rupeshs/fastsdcpu and click on the “Code” button at the top right, followed by “Download” from the dropdown menu. Alternatively, you can follow the installation guide provided on the GitHub repository or refer to the steps below:
FastSD CPU on Windows:
Requirements:
- A working Python installation (Recommended: Python 3.10 or 3.11)
Installation:
- Clone/download the repository or download the release.
- Double click on install.bat. Note: Installation time may vary depending on your internet speed.
Execution:
- Desktop GUI Mode: Double click on start.bat
- Web UI Mode: Double click on start-webui.bat
FastSD CPU on Linux:
Requirements:
- Python 3.9, 3.10, or 3.11
Installation:
- Clone/download the repository.
- Navigate to the fastsdcpu directory in the terminal.
- Run the following commands:bash
chmod +x install.sh ./install.sh
Execution:
- Desktop GUI Mode: Run ./start.sh
- Web UI Mode: Run ./start-webui.sh
FastSD CPU on Mac:
Requirements:
- Python 3.9, 3.10, or 3.11
Installation:
- Clone/download the repository.
- Navigate to the fastsdcpu directory in the terminal.
- Run the following commands:bash
chmod +x install-mac.sh ./install-mac.sh
Execution:
- Desktop GUI Mode: Run ./start.sh
- Web UI Mode: Run ./start-webui.sh
And there you have it! With FastSD CPU, whether you opt for the desktop GUI or web UI, you’re just a few clicks away from diving into the world of AI image generation. Simply visit the URL displayed in your terminal, typically http://127.0.0.1:7860/.