diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 787d1fe..7efc5aa 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 setuptools.setup(
   name="text2text",
-  version="1.8.3",
+  version="1.8.4",
   author="artitw",
   author_email="artitw@gmail.com",
   description="Text2Text Language Modeling Toolkit",
diff --git a/text2text/assistant.py b/text2text/assistant.py
index 05b97d1..97e9801 100644
--- a/text2text/assistant.py
+++ b/text2text/assistant.py
@@ -49,6 +49,23 @@ def run_sh(script_string):
   except Exception as e:
       return str(e)
 
+def apt_install_packages(packages, sudo=True):
+    try:
+        # Update the package list
+        cmds = ['apt', 'update']
+        if sudo:
+          cmds = ['sudo']+cmds
+        subprocess.run(cmds, check=True)
+        
+        # Install the packages
+        cmds = ['apt', 'install', '-q', '-y'] + packages
+        if sudo:
+          cmds = ['sudo']+cmds
+        subprocess.run(cmds, check=True)
+        
+    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+        raise Exception(str(e))
+
 class Assistant(object):
   def __init__(self, **kwargs):
     self.host = kwargs.get("host", "http://localhost")
@@ -57,6 +74,7 @@ def __init__(self, **kwargs):
     self.model_name = kwargs.get("model_name", "llama3.2")
     self.schema_timeout = kwargs.get("schema_timeout", 120.0)
     self.ollama_serve_proc = None
+    self.sudo = kwargs.get("sudo", True)
     self.load_model()
 
   def __del__(self):
@@ -76,9 +94,7 @@ def load_model(self):
       pbar.update(1)
 
       if can_use_apt():
-        return_code = os.system("apt install -q -y lshw curl")
-        if return_code != 0:
-          raise Exception("Cannot install lshw and/or curl.")
+        apt_install_packages(['lshw', 'curl'], self.sudo)
         pbar.update(1)
       elif platform.system() == "Windows":
         raise Exception("Windows not supported.")
@@ -122,9 +138,9 @@ def model_loading(self):
       ps_result = ollama.ps()
       ls_result = ollama.list()
       if ps_result and ls_result and \
-      ps_result.get("models", []) and ls_result.get("models", []) and \
-      ps_result.get("models")[0].get("name", "").startswith(self.model_name) and \
-      ls_result.get("models")[0].get("name", "").startswith(self.model_name):
+      ps_result.models and ls_result.models and \
+      ps_result.models[0].model.startswith(self.model_name) and \
+      ls_result.models[0].model.startswith(self.model_name):
         return False
     except Exception as e:
       warnings.warn(str(e))