Unable to import the awkward module in python

[zwu0922]

Hi,

I'm having problem with importing the awkward module in python with the nightly version 2024-10-16. Here is the error message I received when I attempted to import awkward in python:

Python 3.11.9 (main, Sep 20 2024, 11:17:20) [GCC 14.2.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import awkward
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/cvmfs/sw-nightlies.hsf.org/key4hep/releases/2024-09-21/x86_64-almalinux9-gcc14.2.0-opt/py-awkward/2.6.6-z5legc/lib/python3.11/site-packages/awkward/__init__.py", line 33, in <module>
    import awkward.jax
  File "/cvmfs/sw-nightlies.hsf.org/key4hep/releases/2024-09-21/x86_64-almalinux9-gcc14.2.0-opt/py-awkward/2.6.6-z5legc/lib/python3.11/site-packages/awkward/jax.py", line 10, in <module>
    from awkward import highlevel
  File "/cvmfs/sw-nightlies.hsf.org/key4hep/releases/2024-09-21/x86_64-almalinux9-gcc14.2.0-opt/py-awkward/2.6.6-z5legc/lib/python3.11/site-packages/awkward/highlevel.py", line 29, in <module>
    from awkward._pickle import (
  File "/cvmfs/sw-nightlies.hsf.org/key4hep/releases/2024-09-21/x86_64-almalinux9-gcc14.2.0-opt/py-awkward/2.6.6-z5legc/lib/python3.11/site-packages/awkward/_pickle.py", line 16, in <module>
    import importlib_metadata
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'importlib_metadata'
>>> 

Could you please help me fix this issue? Some useful information, including the steps to reproduce the error, can be found below.

Thanks in advance,
Zhibo

• OS version: AlmaLinux 9.4 (Seafoam Ocelot)
• Compiler version: gcc (Spack GCC) 14.2.0
• Reproduced by:

1. Source the nightly version and run python

source /cvmfs/sw-nightlies.hsf.org/key4hep/setup.sh -r 2024-10-16
python

2. Import awkward module in python
   import awkward

• Goal: I would like to be able to import awkward with the latest nightly version.

[jmcarcell]

The workaround is to install importlib-metadata, for example with pip install importlib-metadata --prefix=some/prefix and make sure where the module is installed is in PYTHONPATH. The installation of the module will be in something like some/prefix/lib/python3.11/site-packages.

[zwu0922]

Thanks a lot! The workaround fixes my issue.

[jmcarcell]

It's not completed yet 😄 . This will be fixed in the stack the next time the nightlies are fully built. I keep this open until it is fixed.

[jmcarcell]

This now works fine for me in the nightlies thanks to the changes in spack/spack#47027.