kernel restart loop after ipykernel upgrade to 6.x, error in logs

TL;DR

ipykernel 6 changed its dependencies (traitlets 5, jupyterclient 7), so upgrading ipykernel alone leaves a skewed environment where the kernel dies on every launch and the UI loops restarts. Upgrade the trio together: `pip install -U ipykernel jupyterclient traitlets`. Then reinstall the kernel spec from the upgraded python so the spec points at the new code, and the loop stops.

kernel restart loop after ipykernel upgrade to 6.x, error in logs

Use this when

• The restart loop began right after pip install -U ipykernel to 6.x.
• The server log shows an ImportError or version complaint during kernel launch.
• pip show jupyter_client traitlets shows versions below what ipykernel 6 needs.

Not for this skill when

• The loop predates the upgrade. That is a startup-file or env problem.
• Kernels start but die on imports. That is an ABI issue.

Steps

1. Confirm the skew: pip show ipykernel jupyter_client traitlets | grep -E "Name|Version". Verify: ipykernel 6.x with jupyter_client below 7 or traitlets below 5.
2. Upgrade the trio together: pip install -U ipykernel jupyter_client traitlets. Verify: versions meet ipykernel 6's requirements.
3. Reinstall the kernel spec: python -m ipykernel install --user --name [env] --display-name "Python ([env])". Verify: kernel.json points at the upgraded python.
4. Launch a kernel and run 1+1. Verify: it connects on the first try with no restart messages.
5. Pin the trio in requirements so the next upgrade moves them together. Verify: a fresh env install reproduces the working set.

Variant phrasings

ipykernel 6 upgrade broke kernel

Short form. The dependency trio must move together.

kernel loop after ipykernel update

Symptom phrasing. Reinstall the spec after upgrading.

ipykernel 6 jupyter_client version conflict

Names the skew. Same paired upgrade.

Compatibility: ipykernel 6.x with jupyter_client 7.x and traitlets 5.x. ipykernel 7 has its own ranges; check before upgrading further.

Why it happens

ipykernel 6 was a major modernization that bumped its floor on jupyter_client and traitlets, but pip's resolver happily upgrades ipykernel alone when you ask for it explicitly. The kernel then launches against old client code with an incompatible wire protocol or missing APIs and dies instantly, and the UI's auto-restart converts that into a loop.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• Upgrading ipykernel inside the notebook upgrades the kernel env, but the running kernel still has old code loaded. Restart after upgrading.
• JupyterHub singleuser images pin these three deliberately. Overriding one pin without the others recreates the skew.
• The loop can mask the real error. Read the server log at --debug before assuming the skew is the whole story.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_sRoR3rRRFDyTuaPKXXYyTA

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_sRoR3rRRFDyTuaPKXXYyTA

Thread query: kernel restart loop after ipykernel upgrade to 6.x, error in logs

TL;DR: ipykernel 6 changed its dependencies (traitlets 5, jupyterclient 7), so upgrading ipykernel alone leaves a skewed environment where the kernel dies on every launch and the UI loops restarts. Upgrade the trio together: `pip install -U ipykernel jupyterclient traitlets`. Then reinstall the kernel spec from the upgraded python so the spec points at the new code, and the loop stops.