The greta R package requires Google’s TensorFlow and TensorFlow Probability python modules in order to work. This vignette discusses how to install these.

Quick start

For almost everyone, installing greta’s python dependencies will now happen automatically.

The first time you use greta, if it doesn’t have the dependencies set up, it will automatically install Python, TensorFlow, and TensorFlow Probability.

install.packages("greta")

library(greta)
x <- normal(0, 1)

That’s it. No separate Python install, no conda, nothing else to run first.

What you’ll see: the first greta array or distribution you create in a session triggers a one-off setup step. greta prints a short progress message while it downloads and configures Python, TensorFlow, and TensorFlow Probability:

#> ℹ Initialising python and checking dependencies, this may take a moment.
#> ✔ Initialising python and checking dependencies ... done!

This requires an internet connection and can take a few minutes, depending on your connection speed. It only happens once – greta caches the result, so every session after that starts straight away. If you don’t have internet access at all, see Using greta offline below for suggestions.

In previous (< 0.6.0) versions of greta, you needed to call install_greta_deps() to install the dependencies. This function is still usable, but it is for an alternative, conda-based install, and is covered below in I want the conda workflow.

If anything about this doesn’t go to plan, skip to Troubleshooting.

Did it work?

Run greta_sitrep() (a “situation report”). It’s the first thing to run if you’re not sure what greta has picked up, and the first thing to include if you ask for help:

greta_sitrep()

On a machine that’s ready to go, you’ll see something like this:

#> ℹ checking if python available
#> ✔ python (v3.11) available
#>
#> ℹ checking if TensorFlow available
#> ✔ TensorFlow (v2.15.1) available
#>
#> ℹ checking if TensorFlow Probability available
#> ✔ TensorFlow Probability (v0.23.0) available
#>
#> ℹ greta conda environment: not used (managed (uv) environment active)
#>
#> • backend: "managed (uv) environment"
#> • selected via: default
#> ✔ offline-ready: uv cache present, offline mode will engage
#> ℹ All dependencies available; greta is ready to use!

The “conda environment: not used” line is expected and fine for most users: greta only uses a conda environment in the alternative conda workflow, and by default runs on the managed (uv) environment (more on that distinction below). The line that matters is the last one: greta is ready to use!. If you see something else, or an error instead, see Troubleshooting.

As a final check, fit a tiny model and confirm sampling runs end to end:

x <- normal(0, 1)
m <- model(x)
draws <- mcmc(m)
draws

If that runs without error and returns some draws, greta is fully working.

How greta uses Python

You don’t need to understand this section to use greta – it’s here for context, and because it helps make sense of the options further down.

As we said above, greta relies on Google’s TensorFlow and TensorFlow Probability to do its fast, scalable linear algebra and MCMC. Those are Python packages, so greta needs a working Python installation to hand them off to – even though you only ever write R code. This is different from most R packages, where CRAN builds and manages every dependency for you.

By default, greta manages this for you using uv, a fast Python package installer, via the reticulate package. The first time it’s needed, reticulate uses uv to create a private, isolated Python environment containing just the packages greta needs (currently Python 3.11, TensorFlow 2.15.1, and TensorFlow Probability 0.23.0). It lives in its own cache directory, away from any other Python you might have – so greta can’t interfere with, or be broken by, Python you use for other things.

For most people, that’s the whole story: install greta, load it, use it. The sections below cover the cases where you want something different.

When the default isn’t right

The managed (uv) environment covers most users. Reach for one of these instead if:

you’re offline or on a restricted network – see Using greta offline,
you already have a Python, or a TensorFlow install, you want greta to use – see I already have Python or TensorFlow installed,
you need specific, pinned versions of TensorFlow, TensorFlow Probability, or Python – see I need specific dependency versions, or
you’d rather have a conda environment than the managed (uv) one – see I want the conda workflow.

Using greta offline

Both the default managed (uv) setup and install_greta_deps() download packages from the internet, so a blocked or air-gapped network stops either approach on a machine that has never set greta up before. If your network blocks PyPI but allows conda, the conda route via install_greta_deps() may work where the managed (uv) one does not.

There are three escape routes, in order of robustness:

point greta at a Python environment that is already on disk,
prime the managed (uv) environment once while online, or
pin dependency versions so an offline environment matches what greta expects. greta_sitrep() reports whether your current setup is ready to start offline (see the “offline-ready” line in Did it work?).

Already have a working Python with TF and TFP on disk (for example, provided by your institution, or copied onto an air-gapped machine)? Point greta straight at it – see I already have Python or TensorFlow installed. This route only ever reads what is already there; it never downloads anything, so it works with no network at all.

Prime the managed (uv) environment while online

If you’re using the default managed (uv) environment, greta can start offline once reticulate’s uv cache has been populated once, while online: run library(greta) and use greta once (for example normal(0, 1)), and you’re done. On its next start, greta detects the populated cache and enables uv’s offline mode automatically, so it no longer reaches out to PyPI.

You can override this yourself by setting the UV_OFFLINE environment variable before loading greta; greta never touches a value you’ve already set:

# force offline mode: e.g. before greta detects the cache, or on a machine
# where you copied the cache over
Sys.setenv(UV_OFFLINE = "1")

# force uv back online: for example to refresh the environment
Sys.setenv(UV_OFFLINE = "0")

To make either choice persistent, set UV_OFFLINE=1 (or UV_OFFLINE=0) in ~/.Renviron instead (no Sys.setenv() needed there).

Pin dependency versions

If someone else installs a Python environment for your offline machine, pin the versions greta expects with greta_set_deps() so the two match (see I need specific dependency versions). The stored versions are used by both the managed (uv) environment and install_greta_deps(). Note that pinning non-default versions this way means the managed environment may still need one further online resolve even after priming the cache, since greta’s offline shortcut is tied to its own default pins.

If your connection drops partway through – for example greta errors on first use with a message from uv like error: Failed to fetch (or, with UV_OFFLINE=1 set, Network connectivity is disabled, but the requested data wasn't found in the cache) – see Troubleshooting.

I already have Python or TensorFlow installed

If you manage your own Python, point greta at it with greta_set_python(), and restart R. These routes only ever read what is already on disk – they never download anything – so they work with no network at all.

greta_set_python("path", ...) accepts either a Python binary or an environment directory (a virtualenv or conda prefix). Given a directory, greta looks for bin/python inside it (Scripts/python.exe on Windows):

# point at a specific Python binary
greta_set_python("path", path = "/opt/python-envs/greta/bin/python")

# or point at the environment directory and let greta find the binary
greta_set_python("path", path = "/opt/python-envs/greta")

# on Windows, an environment directory works the same way; greta looks for
# Scripts\\python.exe inside it
greta_set_python("path", path = "C:/python-envs/greta")

If your environment is a conda environment, you can instead select it by name (this also never downloads anything):

greta_set_python("conda", name = "greta-env-tf2")

Alternatively, set the RETICULATE_PYTHON environment variable (for example in ~/.Renviron) to the Python binary, which takes precedence over any stored preference. See Advanced: how greta chooses a Python environment for the full precedence order.

Either way, the Python you point at needs TensorFlow and TensorFlow Probability already installed for greta to work; run greta_sitrep() afterwards to confirm.

I need specific dependency versions

Most users never need to think about this: greta’s defaults (TensorFlow 2.15.1, TensorFlow Probability 0.23.0, Python 3.11) are the newest versions greta supports, and are used automatically. Reach for this if you need a different, specific combination – for example to match an existing institutional setup, or an offline machine someone else provisioned.

Build a version choice with greta_deps_spec():

greta_deps_spec(
  tf_version = "2.15.0",
  tfp_version = "0.23.0",
  python_version = "3.10"
)

If you specify versions of TF, TFP, and Python that are not compatible with each other, greta_deps_spec() errors before installation begins and suggests alternatives. The combinations greta knows about are recorded in the greta_deps_tf_tfp dataset, which we built from https://www.tensorflow.org/install/source#tested_build_configurations, https://www.tensorflow.org/install/source_windows#tested_build_configurations, and the TFP release notes. Inspect it with:

View(greta_deps_tf_tfp)

To persist a version choice, store it with greta_set_deps(). The stored versions are then used by both the managed (uv) environment (installed on the next load) and install_greta_deps() (as its default deps):

greta_set_deps(
  greta_deps_spec(
    tf_version = "2.14.0",
    tfp_version = "0.22.1",
    python_version = "3.10"
  )
)

# clear the stored versions and return to greta's defaults
greta_remove("deps")

greta_set_deps() and install_greta_deps() take effect on the next restart – see I want the conda workflow if you’re building a conda environment, or just restart R if you’re using the managed (uv) environment.

I want the conda workflow

You might want a dedicated conda environment instead of the managed (uv) one when you:

need a specific, pinned, reproducible set of versions (alongside greta_set_deps(), above),
are setting up GPU / CUDA support, or
are on a network that blocks PyPI but allows conda (see Using greta offline).

install_greta_deps() builds a conda environment named greta-env-tf2, installing TensorFlow and TensorFlow Probability into it. By default it uses the same versions as the managed environment (TensorFlow 2.15.1, TensorFlow Probability 0.23.0, Python 3.11), or your stored greta_set_deps() choice if you’ve made one:

install_greta_deps()

Follow any prompts, then restart R. To make greta use this environment, set it as your preference (then restart R again):

greta_set_python("conda")

Using a conda environment isolates these exact Python modules from other Python installations, so only greta sees them. This avoids a class of problems where, for example, updating TensorFlow elsewhere on your machine would otherwise overwrite the version greta needs.

install_greta_deps() also takes a deps argument (built with greta_deps_spec() – see I need specific dependency versions), timeout (minutes to wait before a component times out, default 5), and restart ("ask" (default), "force", or "no").

How `install_greta_deps()` works

For users who want the detail: greta runs the installation in a separate, clean R session using callr, so Python and reticulate are not already loaded. This also lets us route the large amount of console output into a logfile, which you can open with open_greta_install_log().

If miniconda isn’t installed, greta installs it (a lightweight Python distribution). If the greta-env-tf2 environment doesn’t exist, greta creates it for a Python version compatible with the requested TF and TFP, then installs the TF and TFP modules. In interactive RStudio sessions it then asks whether to restart R.

Advanced: how greta chooses a Python environment

You don’t need this to use greta day to day – it’s here for when you’re customising your setup, or diagnosing why greta picked up a Python you weren’t expecting.

greta resolves which Python to use, in this order:

The RETICULATE_PYTHON environment variable, if set – usually in ~/.Renviron, your .Rprofile, or your shell environment. This always wins: it takes precedence over any stored preference.
Your stored preference, set with greta_set_python().
An auto-detected greta-env-tf2 conda environment, created by install_greta_deps() – kept so setups from older greta versions keep working after upgrading. If you’ve upgraded from an older greta that used this conda environment, greta detects and keeps using it, so upgrading to greta 0.6.0 does not change your setup.
Otherwise, the managed (uv) environment – the default, no setup needed.

To see which Python environment greta is using right now – and which it will use after you restart R – run greta_sitrep() (see Did it work?).

You can switch environments at any time with greta_set_python(), then restart R. Each call reports what greta will resolve to on its next load:

# use the managed (uv) environment (the default)
greta_set_python()
# use the "greta-env-tf2" conda environment
greta_set_python("conda")
# use a specific Python
greta_set_python("path", path = "/path/to/python")
# clear the choice; resolve automatically
greta_reset_python()

These store your choice (under tools::R_user_dir("greta", "config")) so it persists across sessions.

For finer control, setting the RETICULATE_PYTHON environment variable to a path (e.g. in your .Rprofile) takes precedence over the stored preference:

Sys.setenv(RETICULATE_PYTHON = "/path/to/your/python")
library(greta)

Because RETICULATE_PYTHON takes precedence, a stored preference will appear to be ignored while it is set. To go back to your stored preference, remove RETICULATE_PYTHON from wherever it is set (for example ~/.Renviron, which you can open with usethis::edit_r_environ()), then restart R.

See ?greta_set_python for the full argument reference.

Starting over

If your setup is in a confusing state and you just want a clean slate, use greta_remove(). It takes a what argument to choose how much to remove:

# everything at once (the default) -- asks for confirmation once, then
# removes everything it finds
greta_remove()
# the "greta-env-tf2" conda environment
greta_remove("env")
# the miniconda installation
greta_remove("miniconda")
# reticulate's uv cache
greta_remove("uv_cache")
# just the stored Python preference (from greta_set_python())
greta_remove("preference")
# just the stored dependency versions (from greta_set_deps())
greta_remove("deps")

After removing everything, restart R; greta reinstalls what it needs the next time you use it (an internet connection is needed again at that point, unless you prime the managed (uv) environment offline or point greta at an existing Python).

If you specifically want to rebuild the greta-env-tf2 conda environment, reinstall_greta_deps() removes it and miniconda, then reinstalls both in one step.

Troubleshooting

Work through these in order. Most problems are one of the first two.

I changed something (ran install_greta_deps(), or called greta_set_python() / greta_set_deps()) and greta doesn’t seem to have picked it up.

Restart R.
greta resolves its Python backend when the package loads, so a change only takes effect on the next fresh session – within the same session, greta keeps using whatever it already loaded.

I’m not sure what greta is using, or whether it’s working.

Run greta_sitrep() (see Did it work?).
It reports the resolved backend and the versions of Python, TF, and TFP, which usually points straight at the problem.

greta says something like error: Failed to fetch, or (with UV_OFFLINE=1 set) Network connectivity is disabled, but the requested data wasn't found in the cache. - uv tried to resolve dependencies without a working connection. To recover:

If greta’s environment had already been installed on this machine, force offline mode with Sys.setenv(UV_OFFLINE = "1") (or in ~/.Renviron), then restart R: uv then resolves from its cache without touching the network.
If it had not, reconnect once and use greta (for example normal(0, 1)) to prime the environment; after that greta starts offline automatically.
If you cannot reconnect, point greta at an already-installed Python – see I already have Python or TensorFlow installed – and restart R.

I used install_greta_deps() and want to see what happened, or it seems to have failed.

Open the logfile with open_greta_install_log() and search it (Ctrl/Cmd+F) for “error” or “warn”.
Even when there’s no obvious fix, the logfile is useful to share on a forum or a greta GitHub issue.

None of the above helped.

Start from a clean slate – see Starting over – then try install_greta_deps() again.

My network blocks package downloads entirely.

See Using greta offline.

The helpers above still don’t work. As a last resort, you can install the Python modules yourself into a conda environment:

reticulate::install_miniconda()
reticulate::conda_create(
  envname = "greta-env-tf2",
  python_version = "3.11"
)
reticulate::conda_install(
  envname = "greta-env-tf2",
  packages = c(
    "tensorflow-probability==0.23.0",
    "tensorflow==2.15.1"
  )
)

Then point greta at it with greta_set_python("conda") and restart R.
If this still doesn’t work for you, please post on the greta forum, or open a GitHub issue, and include your greta_sitrep() output.

Installing dependencies