VW recently added a python interface, however I am having trouble finding instructions for how to install it. If I install VW from homebrew (brew install vowpal-wabbit) and I open python, and call
import pyvw
I get an ImportError.
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I was able to successfully install the Python interface to VW using the following steps. Note that this is on an Ubuntu 14.04 machine with Anaconda Python 2.7.10.
Prerequisites: Boost & miscellaneous Python development libraries:
sudo apt-get install libboost-all-dev sudo apt-get install python-dev libxml2-dev libxslt-devgit clonethe Vowpal Wabbit repo & enter thepythondirectory.makeVowpal Wabbit & test your installation usingpython test.py.
import pyvw should work from within a Python console as well.
tchakravarty
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Do we put the git clone of vowpal-wabbt into the anaconda directory? – Little Bobby Tables Jul 20 '16 at 22:10
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1@josh No need. You can place the directory anywhere. – tchakravarty Jul 21 '16 at 03:03
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I am confused. If you enter the python directory (I assume 'cd anaconda/bin') then how do you 'make' Vowpal Wabbit? Thank you. – Little Bobby Tables Jul 21 '16 at 17:38
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1@josh There is a `python` directory within the VW repo: https://github.com/JohnLangford/vowpal_wabbit/tree/master/python. – tchakravarty Jul 21 '16 at 17:59
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Sorry, I took it to mean the directory for python, as where it is installed. Silly me! – Little Bobby Tables Jul 21 '16 at 18:40
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`apt-get` doesn't work on a Mac - http://stackoverflow.com/questions/19688424/why-is-apt-get-function-not-working-in-terminal-on-mac-osx-10-9 - you have to use `brew` so this will not work on a Mac as is. – Dhruv Ghulati Aug 03 '16 at 13:25
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pip install vowpalwabbit
should give you the latest version. then do
from vowpalwabbit import sklearn_vw
This will give you scikit's vowpalwabbit
Anuj Gupta
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