Axolotl ModuleNotFoundError After a Successful pip Install
A git/editable install of Axolotl reports success, but importing axolotl or running accelerate launch -m axolotl.cli.train fails with ModuleNotFoundError. The src-layout package never landed on the path (or installed into a different environment). Reinstall editable from the repo root or symlink the package.
A git/editable install of Axolotl reports success, but importing axolotl or running accelerate launch -m axolotl.
What this failure is
Axolotl ModuleNotFoundError After a Successful pip Install is a Environment failure seen during ML training runs. A git/editable install of Axolotl reports success, but importing axolotl or running accelerate launch -m axolotl.cli.train fails with ModuleNotFoundError. The src-layout package never landed on the path (or installed into a different environment). Reinstall editable from the repo root or symlink the package. Common tags: Axolotl, Pip, Editable Install, Modulenotfound.
Is this what broke your run? Paste your log.
You're reading about Axolotl ModuleNotFoundError After a Successful pip Install. Paste your own crash log or traceback below and get the real root cause for YOUR run, not this generic entry. No account, no card. Logs are masked at ingress and never saved to account history.
Want 14 days on the Scale plan?
Request an evaluation code. A verified workplace organization activates up to 50 diagnoses a day, alerts, history, and follow-up questions. No credit card or automatic subscription.
Why it happens (the mechanism)
The editable/git install did not place the src/axolotl package on sys.path. The src layout was not picked up, or the install ran in a different environment than the one launching training. Site-packages therefore has no axolotl import target. Taken together, these mechanisms explain why the failure is reproducible, why it tends to surface on specific workloads or scales, and why generic mitigation attempts often fall short without addressing the underlying cause.
What you'll observe
- pip install succeeds but axolotl can't be imported
- accelerate launch -m axolotl.cli.train fails to find the module
- Package missing from site-packages despite a clean install
Common symptoms and what they mean
| Symptom | Why it happens |
|---|---|
| ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'axolotl' | The editable/git install did not place the src/axolotl package on sys.path. The src layout was not picked up, or the install ran in a different environment than the one launching training |
| site-packages lacks the axolotl package | site-packages therefore has no axolotl import target |
| Launch fails immediately after install | The editable/git install did not place the src/axolotl package on sys.path. The src layout was not picked up, or the install ran in a different environment than the one launching training |
Which systems are affected
- Editable/git installs of Axolotl (src layout)
- Multiple Python environments (conda/mamba/venv)
- Installs run in a different interpreter than the launcher
How to confirm this is the problem
Use this checklist to test the hypothesis against a small reproduction. No single line proves the root cause, so preserve the preceding events and compare one variable at a time.
- ✓Reproduce the failure from a clean checkpoint/seed: the symptom must appear without warm-up state from a previous run.
- ✓Verified signal present: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'axolotl'
- ✓Verified signal present: site-packages lacks the axolotl package
- ✓Verified signal present: Launch fails immediately after install
- ✓A targeted fix from the "How to fix it" section eliminates or substantially reduces the symptom within one validation pass.
The fix and the prevention pattern
The root cause is on this page and stays free. A free account adds the exact remediation steps, saved history, and the fix on every entry in the encyclopedia.
Sign up free. Unlock the full analysisNo credit card. Daily allowance follows verified trust tier. Instant access.
Diagnose this failure in VS Code
Select the traceback or open the failed terminal, then run Denpex locally to see the initiating rank, collateral failures, exact fix, and verification command without uploading the log.
Install the free VS Code extensionRelated failures to investigate next
Root cause
- The editable/git install did not place the src/axolotl package on sys.path. The src layout was not picked up, or the install ran in a different environment than the one launching training
- site-packages therefore has no axolotl import target
The fix and how to prevent it
Evaluate Denpex on your own logs
Request a Scale evaluation code. A verified workplace organization activates 14 days with up to 50 diagnoses a day. Every account keeps its current diagnosis allowance and gets a verification path. No card or automatic subscription.
Don't just read the fix, diagnose your run
The encyclopedia tells you what went wrong. Denpex tells you what went wrong in YOUR training run. With your logs, your config, and your stack.