Installing Airflow on Windows 10

[yamenkaba]

When I start the airflow webserver inside my python environment, I got the following error

WARNING:root:OSError while attempting to symlink the latest log directory
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\yamen\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\runpy.py", line 196, in run_module_as_main
return run_code(code, main_globals, None,
File "C:\Users\yamen\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\runpy.py", line 86, in run_code
exec(code, run_globals)
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\Scripts\airflow.exe_main.py", line 7, in
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\lib\site-packages\airflow_main.py", line 38, in main
args.func(args)
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\lib\site-packages\airflow\cli\cli_parser.py", line 50, in command
func = import_string(import_path)
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\lib\site-packages\airflow\utils\module_loading.py", line 32, in import_string
module = import_module(module_path)
File "C:\Users\yamen\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\lib\importlib_init.py", line 126, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
File "", line 1050, in _gcd_import
File "", line 1027, in _find_and_load
File "", line 1006, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "", line 688, in _load_unlocked
File "", line 883, in exec_module
File "", line 241, in call_with_frames_removed
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\lib\site-packages\airflow\cli\commands\webserver_command.py", line 31, in
import daemon
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\lib\site-packages\daemon_init.py", line 38, in
from .daemon import DaemonContext
File "C:\Users\yamen\Documents\Github\airflow-tuts\py_env\lib\site-packages\daemon\daemon.py", line 18, in
import pwd
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pwd'

---

Python version 3.10.5
Airflow version 2.3.1

[potiuk]

Airflow does not YET work on Windows. There is an effort on-going to make it more compatible but it is not. If you want - feel free to provide PRs that improve compatibility for Windows. They are most welcome.

[vinhkhangphung]

First of all, the error that cause all of the logs (except the OS Warning) seems to be ModuleNotFoundError. I'm quite sure because I always got that WARNING:root:OSError alone itself, only 1 line just like that.

Secondly, I think @potiuk has his point. So my answer will extend his. Use Window Subsystem for Linux (WSL) (which is available by default in every Windows I believe). You'll need a Linux distributors (we've got Ubuntu on Microsoft Store), then create a Virtual Environment in WSL, then install airflow and its dependencies in that venv. Things should work. Hope that this help.

[APOORVA696]

Any new updates, I saw some YouTube videos where they have installed Airflow on Windows.
Does Airflow work on Windows?

[APOORVA696]

Hi, I didn't mean it that way.
I just wanted to know from here the correct way of installing Airflow.
I would never go with any You Tuber for these things, that's why I sent the link of the YouTube to verify it.

[potiuk]

I have absolutely no intention on spending my time on verifying You Tube video claiming to do what I tell you is not working.

[APOORVA696]

Okay, I got it.

[shipkeep]

I am getting the same error that @yamenkaba started the thread with. I will also try the WSL2 route.
Also @potiuk , I think you were being super defensive about a simple question.

[potiuk]

@shipkeep . Yep. Thanks for pointing it out . I am indeed being defensive of my time that I spend helping people here for free (and many hours a day) - when it something I KNOW is not working. This was a good call.