1.8.0 breaks tensorflow_datasets

[faximan]

🐞 bug report

Affected Rule

The issue is caused by the rule: pip.parse

Is this a regression?

Yes, the previous version in which this bug was not present was: 1.7.0

Description

A simple py_library trying to use tensorflow-datasets as generated by pip.parse fails as below with a circular dependency error.

I understand this might be an upstream error, but considering the simplest possible repro fails, and given this wasn't a problem on 1.7.0, filing this bug here to at least understand how the new rules_python version triggered the problem.

🔬 Minimal Reproduction

See repro at https://github.com/faximan/tfds_bug_repro

$ bazel --version
bazel 8.5.1
$ bazel build //:tfds
ERROR: /home/alexanderfaxa/.cache/bazel/_bazel_alexanderfaxa/3f41e18692031c7873c3a89d819ed61c/external/rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps/tensorflow_datasets/BUILD.bazel:5:12: in alias rule @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg: cycle in dependency graph:
    //:tfds (c5c171101b26aaaa46afb6c1101587724450fc2447cb97ced43593e790c16a43)
    //:tfds (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
    @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:tensorflow_datasets (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
.-> @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//etils:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_etils//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
`-- @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)

🔥 Exception or Error

ERROR: /home/alexanderfaxa/.cache/bazel/_bazel_alexanderfaxa/3f41e18692031c7873c3a89d819ed61c/external/rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps/tensorflow_datasets/BUILD.bazel:5:12: in alias rule @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg: cycle in dependency graph:
    //:tfds (c5c171101b26aaaa46afb6c1101587724450fc2447cb97ced43593e790c16a43)
    //:tfds (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
    @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:tensorflow_datasets (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
.-> @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//etils:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_etils//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
`-- @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)

🌍 Your Environment

Operating System:

  
Linux
  

Output of bazel version:

  
8.5.1
  

Rules_python version:

  
1.8.0
  

Anything else relevant?

I tried with export RULES_PYTHON_ENABLE_PIPSTAR=0 but same result, so that's not the culprit.

[aignas]

Since this is a cyclic dep, I think the best way for know would be to declare a cyclic dependency via the helpers that we have.

[aignas]

It is pipstar:

module(name = "tfds_bug_repro")

bazel_dep(name = "rules_python", version = "1.8.0")

pip = use_extension("@rules_python//python/extensions:pip.bzl", "pip")
pip.parse(
    hub_name = "tfds_pip_deps",
    python_version = "3.11",
    requirements_lock = "//:requirements.txt",
)
use_repo(pip, "tfds_pip_deps")

$ bazel build @tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets
2026/01/20 17:26:11 Downloading https://releases.bazel.build/8.5.1/release/bazel-8.5.1-linux-x86_64...
2026/01/20 17:26:11 Skipping basic authentication for releases.bazel.build because no credentials found in .../.netrc
Downloading: 61 MB out of 61 MB (100%)
Extracting Bazel installation...
Starting local Bazel server (8.5.1) and connecting to it...
ERROR: .../.cache/bazel/_.../a9f4f0e0e943c447ae391990ab5826cf/external/rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets/BUILD.bazel:6:34: in py_library rule @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg: cycle in dependency graph:
    @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:tensorflow_datasets (c5c171101b26aaaa46afb6c1101587724450fc2447cb97ced43593e790c16a43)
    @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg (c5c171101b26aaaa46afb6c1101587724450fc2447cb97ced43593e790c16a43)
    @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg (c5c171101b26aaaa46afb6c1101587724450fc2447cb97ced43593e790c16a43)
.-> @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//etils:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_etils//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
|   @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
`-- @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg (e8494724f8baac23aca058d3505bda14b53b5306128c401b729b89c7aeb7b13c)
ERROR: Analysis of target '@@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:tensorflow_datasets' failed; build aborted
INFO: Elapsed time: 25.318s, Critical Path: 0.03s
INFO: 1 process: 1 internal.
ERROR: Build did NOT complete successfully

$ bazel clean --expunge
INFO: Starting clean (this may take a while). Use --async if the clean takes more than several minutes.

$ export RULES_PYTHON_ENABLE_PIPSTAR=0

$ bazel build @tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets
Starting local Bazel server (8.5.1) and connecting to it...
INFO: Analyzed target @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps//tensorflow_datasets:tensorflow_datasets (131 packages loaded, 8658 targets configured).
INFO: Found 1 target...
Target @@rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets//:pkg up-to-date:
  bazel-bin/external/rules_python++pip+tfds_pip_deps_311_tensorflow_datasets/site-packages/tensorflow_datasets/datasets/__init__.py
INFO: Elapsed time: 12.641s, Critical Path: 0.07s
INFO: 29 processes: 1 internal, 28 processwrapper-sandbox.
INFO: Build completed successfully, 29 total actions

[faximan]

Thank you, this seems to be a workaround

pip.parse(
    # ....
    experimental_requirement_cycles = {
        "tfds": [
            "array-record",
            "etils",
            "tensorflow-datasets",
        ],
    },
)

It is pipstar:

Ah, I missed the --expunge I guess.

[aignas]

The METADATA:

• https://pypi-browser.org/package/etils/etils-1.13.0-py3-none-any.whl
• https://pypi-browser.org/package/tensorflow-datasets/tensorflow_datasets-4.9.9-py3-none-any.whl

[gfrankliu]

Is there a python config I can put in bazelrc to turn off pipstar while waiting for next rules python release with fix? Btw etils only depends on tensorflow-dataset under "dev" extra.

[aignas]

Please test the attached PR, I would like to release a 1.8.1 soon.

[faximan]

Thanks for the quick fix! I can confirm the linked PR fixes my repro example.

[aignas]

1.8.1 has been released.