Intermittent Timeout Error While Waiting for Python REPL to Start in Databricks

[mkwparth]

Hi everyone,

I’ve been encountering an error that says "Timeout while waiting for the Python REPL to start. Took longer than 60 seconds" during my work in Databricks. The issue seems to happen intermittently - sometimes the REPL starts without any problems, and some times, I face this timeout error.

Has anyone experienced this before? Any ideas on what could be causing it or how to resolve the issue?

I’ve attached a screenshot of the error for reference. Appreciate any help or insights!

[Rohan2405 · Accepted solution]

This error usually stems from delays in initializing the Python REPL due to factors like misconfigured dependencies, system-level command execution issues, or resource constraints on the cluster.

This could be caused due incompatible or missing Python libraries , heavy cluster workloads (Like extensive memory utilisation), or startup commands (like chmod or chown) hanging unexpectedly.

To resolve this, ensure your dependencies match the Databricks Runtime version, particularly if using GPUs or custom libraries.
Also, check if the cluster has sufficient resources and avoid overloading it with high concurrency at startup.
Additionally, verify that the driver is responsive and that there are no network issues or custom init scripts blocking access to package sources.

If everything else is in place, increasing the REPL startup timeout in the cluster configuration may help accommodate slower setups.

Checking cluster driver logs will often point to the specific reason behind the delay(Additionally, checking the Cluster driver Metrics also helps).

[mkwparth]

@Rohan2405

"If everything else is in place, increasing the REPL startup timeout in the cluster configuration may help accommodate slower setups".

Can you please guide me how to increase the REPL timeout in cluster configuration? Like I've add this configuration in DLT Pipeline still getting the error and showing Timeout while waiting for the Python REPL to start. Took longer than 60 seconds.