A Docker Mystery: The Sudden Failure in spaCy(NLP) and the Unseen Dependency

Just yesterday, everything was humming along smoothly in Wisedoc AI. Lines of code danced gracefully to the tune of a well-orchestrated symphony. The Dockerfile, the conductor of this symphony, directed each component flawlessly, building the perfect environment for our application.

One of the key performers in this concert was spaCy, a stalwart in the realm of Natural Language Processing in Python. With a wave of the Dockerfile’s baton, the command `python -m spacy download en_core_web_lg` would spring into action, fetching and installing the essential spaCy language model.

But then, suddenly, the music halted. Without any apparent reason or change in configuration, our Dockerfile started throwing a fit. The command that had performed flawlessly just a day ago now stumbled, tripping over an ominous error

Puzzled and intrigued, I decided to investigate.

My journey took me through the vast landscapes of Docker and spaCy, and into the complex labyrinth of Python dependencies. I examined the recent Docker Desktop update, scrutinized spaCy’s interactions, and delved into Pydantic, a data validation library used by spaCy.

After countless hours and many dead ends, I finally stumbled upon an inconspicuous package — `typing_extensions`

In this grand symphony of software, this side player had recently undergone a transformation, upgrading to version 4.6.0. This upgrade, unbeknownst to us, had introduced discord into our previously harmonious melody.

The fix was disarmingly simple — restrict `typing_extensions` to versions less than 4.6.0 in the `requirements.txt` file

And with this small adjustment, the music began once again, resuming its harmonious tune. The Dockerfile, regaining its composure, continued directing the flow of commands without a hitch.

This unexpected journey served as a profound reminder of the delicacy of our software ecosystems. The interplay of countless packages and their respective versions is a delicate dance, where even a minor step out of line can send ripples across the system. As developers, we’re not only architects and builders but also detectives and problem-solvers, navigating this intricate dance of dependencies with agility and precision.

So, to all the coders out there solving mysteries and wrangling dependencies: remember that behind every sudden error lies a tale waiting to be unraveled. Each challenge is an opportunity to learn, to adapt, and to deepen our understanding of the rich tapestry that is software development.