import tensorflow statement crashes or hangs on macOS

Question

I have the following Python statement, which I cannot execute in Jupyter Notebook or Python REPL:

import tensorflow

Python 3.11.10 (main, Sep 20 2024, 14:23:57) [Clang 16.0.0 (clang-1600.0.26.3)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import tensorflow

On a console, you see the following thread locking error crashing the interpreter:

libc++abi: terminating due to uncaught exception of type std::__1::system_error: mutex lock failed: Invalid argument

When run in a Jupyter Notebook, it will cause the kernel to hang indefinitely.

• What causes this?
• How to make it run?

Python 3.11. Tensorflow 2.20.0. Pyarrow 21.0.0. macOS ARM.

Related earlier question.

Below is the traceback of python -vvv -c "import tensorflow"

# trying /Users/moo/.pyenv/versions/3.11.10/lib/python3.11/lib-dynload/pyarrow.py
# trying /Users/moo/.pyenv/versions/3.11.10/lib/python3.11/lib-dynload/pyarrow.pyc
# /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-311.pyc matches /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/__init__.py
# code object from '/Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-311.pyc'
# trying /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/_generated_version.cpython-311-darwin.so
# trying /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/_generated_version.abi3.so
# trying /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/_generated_version.so
# trying /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/_generated_version.py
# /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/__pycache__/_generated_version.cpython-311.pyc matches /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/_generated_version.py
# code object from '/Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/__pycache__/_generated_version.cpython-311.pyc'
import 'pyarrow._generated_version' # <_frozen_importlib_external.SourceFileLoader object at 0x3113025d0>
# trying /Users/moo/code/predictor2/.venv/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pyarrow/lib.cpython-311-darwin.so
libc++abi: terminating due to uncaught exception of type std::__1::system_error: mutex lock failed: Invalid argument

Answer 1

Tensorflow tries to import PyArrow which depends on Protobuf and there is something wrong with Protobuf build for macOS. Here is somewhat similar PyArrow issue. Another related issue.

Downgrade to Tensorflow 2.19.x for now.