Jupyter Kernel Parameters

[echarles]

The goal is to allow the

• The Jupyter Administrator to define a set of available parameters (with default value) for a Kernel.
• The Jupyter User (WEB of CLI) to provide values for the defined parameters.

A POC (2,5 years ago, see https://github.com/jupyter/jupyter_client/pull/612#issuecomment-886686237) has been achieved and need the following changes (in jupyter-server, jupyter-client and jupyterlab):

• https://github.com/datalayer-externals/jupyter-server/commits/exp/kernel-params2
• https://github.com/datalayer-externals/jupyter-kernel-client/tree/exp/kernel-params
• https://github.com/datalayer-externals/jupyterlab/tree/exp/kernel-params2

For this POC, the Kernelspec has been updated to add a JSON Schema as additional attribute to the kernel_provisioner stanza. One important aspect of this RFC is to agree on the format of the kernelspec (it may sound more adequate to have the JSON schema under a top parameters stanza.

{
 "argv": [
  "python",
  "-m",
  "ipykernel_launcher",
  "-f",
  "{connection_file}",
  "--cache-size={cache_size}",
  "--matplotlib={matplotlib}"
 ],
 "display_name": "Python 3 (ipykernel)",
 "language": "python",
 "metadata": {
   "debugger": true,
   "metadata": {
      "kernel_provisionners": {
        "provisioner_name": "local-provisioner",
        "config": {
          "title": "IPyKernel",
          "type": "object",
          "properties": {
            "cache_size": {
              "type": "integer",
              "description": "Set the size of the output cache.",
              "default": 1000,
              "minimum": 0,
              "maximum": 50000
            },
            "matplotlib": {
              "type": "string",
              "description": "Configure matplotlib for interactive use with the default matplotlib backend.",
              "default": "auto",
              "enum": ["auto", "agg", "gtk", "gtk3", "gtk4", "inline", "ipympl", "nbagg", "notebook", "osx", "pdf", "ps", "qt", "qt4", "qt5", "qt6", "svg", "tk", "webagg", "widget", "wx"]
            }
          }
        }
      }
   }
 }

Prior Art

JEP

• DRAFT CLOSED Parameterized Kernel Launch https://github.com/jupyter/enhancement-proposals/pull/46

JupyterLab

• Adding Option to Customize Parameters when Launching & Changing Kernels https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/issues/9374
• Kernel gateway envs parameter https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/issues/7640
• CLOSED Add optional metadata to launcher and running items https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/pull/7437
• Improve user experience in Launcher https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/issues/3795
• Feature: KernelSpec Management https://github.com/jupyterlab/jupyterlab/issues/9528

Jupyter Client

• Parametrized kernels for passing arguments in to starting up kernels https://github.com/jupyter/jupyter_client/issues/434
• Reference kernelspec resources from kernel? https://github.com/jupyter/jupyter_client/issues/445

Kernel Manager

• Add support for kernel launch parameters https://github.com/takluyver/jupyter_kernel_mgmt/pull/22

Kernel Provisonner

• Kernel Provisioning - initial implementation - Parameters POC https://github.com/jupyter/jupyter_client/pull/612#issuecomment-886686237

Jupyter Server

• Fix activity tracking and nudge issues when kernel ports changef on restarts https://github.com/jupyter-server/jupyter_server/pull/482

[echarles]

@fcollonval @zsailer @lresende @blink1073