chroma-core/chroma · error · Error

Please install Ollama as a dependency with, e.g. `npm instal

Error message

Please install Ollama as a dependency with, e.g. `npm install ollama`

What it means

Static import helper for OllamaEmbeddingFunction: it wraps import("ollama") (re-shaping the module as { ollama: m }) in an unconditional try/catch, so every import failure — missing package, broken install, or bundler resolution — becomes the same 'install Ollama' message with the original error discarded. This masks non-obvious causes the same way errors 41/44/57 do.

Source

Thrown at clients/js/packages/chromadb-core/src/embeddings/OllamaEmbeddingFunction.ts:57

          "Please install the ollama package to use the OllamaEmbeddingFunction, `npm install -S ollama`",
        );
      }
      throw e;
    }
  }

  /** @ignore */
  static async import(): Promise<{
    // @ts-ignore
    ollama: typeof import("ollama");
  }> {
    try {
      // @ts-ignore
      const { ollama } = await import("ollama").then((m) => ({ ollama: m }));
      // @ts-ignore
      return { ollama };
    } catch (e) {
      throw new Error(
        "Please install Ollama as a dependency with, e.g. `npm install ollama`",
      );
    }
  }

  public async generate(texts: string[]) {
    await this.initClient();
    return await this.ollamaClient!.embed({
      model: this.model,
      input: texts,
    }).then((response: any) => {
      return response.embeddings;
    });
  }

  buildFromConfig(config: StoredConfig): OllamaEmbeddingFunction {
    return new OllamaEmbeddingFunction({
      url: config.url,

View on GitHub (pinned to aecdd12c8a)

Solutions

npm install ollama and retry
If already installed, reproduce the swallowed error: node -e "import('ollama').then(m=>console.log('ok'),e=>console.error(e))"
Clean reinstall from the lockfile: rm -rf node_modules && npm ci
Switch embedding functions if the dependency is unwanted

Example fix

// before: install message despite the package being listed
// after: expose the real import error the helper swallows
// $ node -e "import('ollama').then(m=>console.log('ok'), e=>console.error(e))"

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

async function canImport(pkg: string): Promise<boolean> {
  try {
    await import(pkg);
    return true;
  } catch {
    return false;
  }
}
if (!(await canImport("ollama"))) {
  // fail with instructions or fall back to another embedding function
}

Try / catch

try {
  await ef.generate(texts);
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof Error && /install Ollama/.test(e.message)) {
    // probe import('ollama') to tell missing package from broken install
  }
  throw e;
}

Prevention

Commit lockfiles and use npm ci in CI for reproducible optional deps
CI smoke-import each optional provider package
Prefer explicit embedding functions in bundled/serverless builds

When it happens

Trigger: Any rejection of the dynamic import("ollama") via OllamaEmbeddingFunction.import(): package absent, partially installed, or unresolvable by the runtime/bundler.

Common situations: node_modules desync after branch switches; exports-map resolution failures in bundled deployments; optional deps stripped by minimal CI install stages.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of chroma-core/chroma@aecdd12c8a (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/2a6e2956e2715bbd. Report an issue: GitHub.