Unable to install Chainlit from source code because github/frontend dist dirs not found

[francisjervis]

Describe the bug
The missing built front end issue #2448 referencing #2425 is fixed in 2.7.2 for installs from pypi (the official release).

When trying to install from a fork (in sync with main branch of this repo, added tests all pass, backend changes only), the message reappears. However it is not entirely clear if the cause is the same as #2448. See #1673 in which the same issue was fixed for poetry (which is no longer being used).

Presumably pnpm run buildUi is being run at some point during the release process for the official release but it is unclear how to integrate this into the process of installing a fork from GH...

To Reproduce
Create a new project & venv, run...

pip install "git+https://github.com/francisjervis/chainlit.git@feature/websocket-lifecycle-callbacks#subdirectory=backend"
chainlit run hello.py

Expected behavior
App launches

Logs
FileNotFoundError: frontend built UI dir not found

[sandangel]

It is built and included before we release. You can check .github workflow for more info

[francisjervis]

It is built and included before we release. You can check .github workflow for more info

Sorry but that doesn't address my issue. I know it is built before you release it. The issue is that it isn't built when installing from a fork using pip. This used to work, see #1673 and #1544 (comment)

By the way, this does not work. francisjervis@8664c84

[sandangel]

I think there is a post install script that build the frontend in poetry before. you can bring it back if needed

[francisjervis]

I think there is a post install script that build the frontend in poetry before. you can bring it back if needed

not since the project was migrated to uv #2415? @hayescode can you shed any light on this, i was able to create an action (ref above) including uv run python build.py which runs but does not fix the issue (install from the fork using pip still lacks built front end assets)...

[andrePankraz]

my 2 (may be wrong) cents...

uv doesnt automatically call backend/build.py (like poetry before), which builds the frontend.

need something like that:

in projects.toml

[tool.hatch.build.hooks.custom]
path = "build.py"

in build.by

from hatchling.builders.hooks.plugin.interface import BuildHookInterface # type: ignore

class FrontendBuildHook(BuildHookInterface):
def initialize(self, version: str, build_data: dict) -> None:
build()

[asvishnyakov]

@hayescode @andrePankraz is probably right, and the issue is caused by the lack of an automated frontend build after package installation with uv

[francisjervis]

@hayescode @andrePankraz is probably right, and the issue is caused by the lack of an automated frontend build after package installation with uv

Just to confirm, I am trying to install with pip not uv. My attempt at a build workflow francisjervis@8664c84 did not work but might (or might not) be a useful starting point. Full disclosure - that was created/debugged with Claude as this is "above my pay grade".

[asvishnyakov]

@francisjervis I'm not quite familiar with Python’s build systems, but I’m sure that when I installed Chainlit from git or a local folder before, the frontend build was triggered, and now it isn’t or at least I don’t see it in the logs