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martindevans merged 2 commits into from
Apr 17, 2026
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docs: add FAQ entry for "unknown model architecture" error #1371

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docs: add FAQ entry for "unknown model architecture" error
Klivess Apr 17, 2026
865b846
remove mention of specific models, fix typographical slipup
Klivess Apr 17, 2026
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17 changes: 17 additions & 0 deletions docs/FAQ.md
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Expand Up @@ -62,3 +62,20 @@ In this inequality, `len(response)` refers to the expected tokens for LLM to gen
## Choose models weight depending on your task

The differences between modes may lead to much different behaviours under the same task. For example, if you're building a chat bot with non-English, a fine-tuned model specially for the language you want to use will have huge effect on the performance.

## Why am I getting "error loading model architecture: unknown model architecture: 'X'"?

This error means the model's architecture is not supported by the version of
llama.cpp that the current LLamaSharp backend is built against.

The most common cause is using a model that was released after your installed version of LLamaSharp. Newer model families require a backend built against a newer llama.cpp commit.

**Solutions, in order of preference:**

1. **Update LLamaSharp** to the latest version and reinstall the matching backend package. Check the version table at the bottom of the README to confirm which model families are verified for each release.

2. **Check the model's publishing date** on Hugging Face. If it was published after your LLamaSharp version, the architecture may not yet be supported - open an issue on the repository to request support.

3. **Compile the compatible llama.cpp build yourself**, then point LLamaSharp to it with NativeLibraryConfig.All.WithLibrary()

> **Caution:** Using a self-compiled library that does not match the LLamaSharp version's expected commit is unsupported and may cause crashes or unexpected behaviour. Only do this as a last resort.