Use a compatible version of Python

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 110 views

Introduction

In this article, we will explore the issue of AssertionError: daemonic processes are not allowed to have children when using the aTrain library on Ubuntu 24.04 with Python 3.12. We will delve into the possible causes of this error and provide a step-by-step guide to resolve it.

Background

aTrain is a Python library used for automatic speech recognition (ASR) and transcription. It relies on the faster-whisper library, which is a fork of the popular whisper library. The faster-whisper library uses a workaround to bypass a bug in the original whisper library.

Installation

To reproduce the issue, we installed the aTrain library using the following command:

pip install git+https://github.com/JuergenFleiss/aTrain.git@v1.2.4 --extra-index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu121

Error Message

The error message is as follows:

Traceback (most recent call last): 
  File "/home/rafael/Documents/testing_ground/atrain_linux_gui_test/atrain_venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aTrain/transcription.py", line 64, in try_to_transcribe 
    start_transcription(settings, file_name, file_content, event_sender) 
  File "/home/rafael/Documents/testing_ground/atrain_linux_gui_test/atrain_venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aTrain/transcription.py", line 98, in start_transcription 
    transcribe( 
  File "/home/rafael/Documents/testing_ground/atrain_linux_gui_test/atrain_venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aTrain_core/transcribe.py", line 368, in transcribe 
    transcript = run_transcription_in_seperate_process( 
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
  File "/home/rafael/Documents/testing_ground/atrain_linux_gui_test/atrain_venv/lib/python3.12/site-packages/aTrain_core/transcribe.py", line 142, in run_transcription_in_seperate_process 
    with Manager() as manager: 
  ^^^^^^^^^ 
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/multiprocessing/context.py", line 57, in Manager 
    m.start() 
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/multiprocessing/managers.py", line 562, in start 
    self._process.start() 
  File "/usr/lib/python3.12/multiprocessing/process.py", line 118, in start 
    assert not _current_process._config.get('daemon'), 
  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 
AssertionError: daemonic processes are not allowed to have children

Possible Causes

Based on the error message, it appears that the issue is related to the Manager class in the multiprocessing module. The Manager class is used to create a shared memory space between processes. However, in this case, the process is being created as a daemon, which means it is not allowed to have children.

There are several possible causes for this issue:

Python Version: The issue may be related to the version of Python being used. In this case, we are using Python 3.12, which may be causing the issue.
Cuda Version: The issue may also be related to the version of Cuda being used. In this case, we are using Cuda 12.1, which may be causing the issue.
aTrain Library: The issue may be related to the aTrain library itself. The run_transcription_in_seperate_process function is a workaround for a bug in the faster-whisper library, and it may not be compatible with the current version of Python or Cuda.

Troubleshooting

To troubleshoot the issue, we can try the following steps:

Check Python Version: Check the version of Python being used and ensure that it is compatible with the aTrain library.
Check Cuda Version: Check the version of Cuda being used and ensure that it is compatible with the aTrain library.
Test with Older Version: Test the aTrain library with an older version of Python or Cuda to see if the issue is resolved.
Test with faster-whisper: Test the faster-whisper library directly to see if the issue is related to the aTrain library or the faster-whisper library.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the AssertionError: daemonic processes are not allowed to have children error is a complex issue that may be related to the version of Python or Cuda being used, or the aTrain library itself. By following the troubleshooting steps outlined above, we can identify the root cause of the issue and resolve it.

Future Work

In the future, we can explore the following options to resolve the issue:

Update aTrain Library: Update the aTrain library to the latest version to see if the issue is resolved.
Use Alternative Library: Use an alternative library that does not rely on the faster-whisper library.
Implement Workaround: Implement a workaround to bypass the bug in the faster-whisper library.

Q: What is the AssertionError: daemonic processes are not allowed to have children error?

A: The AssertionError: daemonic processes are not allowed to have children error is a complex issue that occurs when using the aTrain library on Ubuntu 24.04 with Python 3.12. It is related to the Manager class in the multiprocessing module, which is used to create a shared memory space between processes.

Q: What are the possible causes of this error?

A: There are several possible causes of this error, including:

Python Version: The issue may be related to the version of Python being used. In this case, we are using Python 3.12, which may be causing the issue.
Cuda Version: The issue may also be related to the version of Cuda being used. In this case, we are using Cuda 12.1, which may be causing the issue.
aTrain Library: The issue may be related to the aTrain library itself. The run_transcription_in_seperate_process function is a workaround for a bug in the faster-whisper library, and it may not be compatible with the current version of Python or Cuda.

Q: How can I troubleshoot this error?

A: To troubleshoot this error, you can try the following steps:

Check Python Version: Check the version of Python being used and ensure that it is compatible with the aTrain library.
Check Cuda Version: Check the version of Cuda being used and ensure that it is compatible with the aTrain library.
Test with Older Version: Test the aTrain library with an older version of Python or Cuda to see if the issue is resolved.
Test with faster-whisper: Test the faster-whisper library directly to see if the issue is related to the aTrain library or the faster-whisper library.

Q: What are the possible solutions to this error?

A: There are several possible solutions to this error, including:

Update aTrain Library: Update the aTrain library to the latest version to see if the issue is resolved.
Use Alternative Library: Use an alternative library that does not rely on the faster-whisper library.
Implement Workaround: Implement a workaround to bypass the bug in the faster-whisper library.

Q: How can I prevent this error from occurring in the future?

A: To prevent this error from occurring in the future, you can:

Use a compatible version of Python: Ensure that you are using a compatible version of Python with the aTrain library.
Use a compatible version of Cuda: Ensure that you are using a compatible version of Cuda with the aTrain library.
Test with older versions: Test the aTrain library with older versions of Python or Cuda to ensure that the issue is not related to the current version.

Q: What are the best practices for debugging this error?

A: The best practices for debugging this error include:

Check the error message: Check the error message to identify the root cause of the issue.
Check the code: Check the code to ensure that it is correct and compatible with the aTrain library.
Test with different versions: Test the aTrain library with different versions of Python or Cuda to identify the root cause of the issue.

By following these best practices and troubleshooting steps, you can resolve the AssertionError: daemonic processes are not allowed to have children error and ensure that the aTrain library works correctly with Python 3.12 and Cuda 12.1.