# MNE 18.0 on MacOS M1 won't launch Spyder **URL:** \ **Category:** Support & Discussions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583 "2024-12-01T18:58:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DukeNukem](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/dukenukem/32/2993_2.png) [@DukeNukem](https://mne.discourse.group/u/DukeNukem)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/1 "2024-12-01T18:58:23Z")
Hi, I have been trying to get the current version of MNE running on MacOS M1. It just won’t run Spyder. I already tried installing the Spyder-kernels and getting Spyder from [spyder-ide.org](http://spyder-ide.org) (and using the MNE Python interpreter). It will then launch the IDE, but complain about missing dependencies (QT…), so it still doesn’t work. When I add these dependencies, the whole thing breaks and python doesn’t start anymore. Will there be a version of MNE that will work again or is MacOS now just unsupported? thanks. ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 7:59am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/2 "2024-12-02T07:59:07Z")
Hello @DukeNukem, could you please share - how you installed MNE - the exact error message(s) you get We’re committed to fully supporting macOS. In fact, many MNE developers are using macOS as their primary platform. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![DukeNukem](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/dukenukem/32/2993_2.png) [@DukeNukem](https://mne.discourse.group/u/DukeNukem)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 8:45am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/3 "2024-12-02T08:45:18Z")
Hi, I downloaded the MNE installer version 1.8.0 for MacOS Apple Silicon from [MNE-Python installers — MNE 1.8.0 documentation](https://mne.tools/stable/install/installers.html) I installed it normally like I did with previous versions. (I am currently running 1.6.1). After this when I click on Spyder it just doesn’t start. I see the icon moving like twice and then nothing. No error message or anything. I tracked it down to the point that I know that the MNE installer does not include the Spyder scripts and support anymore. There is no /Applications/MNE-Python/1.8.0\_0/.mne-python/bin/spyder The Spyder “app” essentially tries to execute this spyder script and since it’s not there, it just fails without an error message. I can open the MNE “Prompt” app and it seems to work in general. I tried a “conda install spyder -kernels” and it installs a few things, but Spyder still doesn’t work. I have used the MNE installer for a few previous versions already and it worked just fine so far. I eventually solved it just now. With a clean install, you need to open the “Prompt”, then conda install spyder-kernels and conda install spyder. I also copied the “.mne-python/bin/spyder” script from 1.6.1 to the 1.8.0 installation and changed the path in the script to 1.8.0. It just feels a bit unnecessary to include a Spyder App, which doesn’t work until you actually install spyder via conda. thanks. ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 8:55am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/4 "2024-12-02T08:55:06Z")
> [@DukeNukem](#): > > can open the MNE “Prompt” app and it seems to work in general. I tried a “conda install spyder -kernels” and it installs a few things, but Spyder still doesn’t work. I have used the MNE installer for a few previous versions already and it worked just fine so far. > […] > It just feels a bit unnecessary to include a Spyder App, which doesn’t work until you actually install spyder via conda. This actually shouldn’t be necessary. Are you sure you cannot start Spyder by simply opening the Prompt and typing `spyder`? cc @larsoner ---
**Author:** ![DukeNukem](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/dukenukem/32/2993_2.png) [@DukeNukem](https://mne.discourse.group/u/DukeNukem)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 12:14pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/5 "2024-12-02T12:14:38Z")
yes, absolutely. I tried that. The “spyder” script was missing in /Applications/MNE-Python/1.8.0\_0/.mne-python/bin. I asked some people here and they told me that they don’t use the MNE installer on MacOS or don’t use Spyder at all. I ended up sticking to the MNE installer, because I experienced a lot of package incompatibilities when going any other route. Most people seem to use Linux. ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 12:30pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/6 "2024-12-02T12:30:36Z")
Thanks for letting us know, @DukeNukem! We’ll look into this. ---
**Author:** ![DukeNukem](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/dukenukem/32/2993_2.png) [@DukeNukem](https://mne.discourse.group/u/DukeNukem)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 12:55pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/7 "2024-12-02T12:55:37Z")
thanks. I really appreciate that you reply to these rather stupid tech support questions. ---
**Author:** ![larsoner](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/larsoner/32/3_2.png) [@larsoner](https://mne.discourse.group/u/larsoner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/8 "2024-12-02T14:25:32Z")
Argh yes we removed Spyder from the installation but forgot to remove the launcher ☹ I expect that it will be fixed with the 1.9.0 installers, which should land in a couple of weeks ---
**Author:** ![larsoner](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/larsoner/32/3_2.png) [@larsoner](https://mne.discourse.group/u/larsoner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 2:26pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/9 "2024-12-02T14:26:48Z")
… in the meantime, you can create a separate `conda` environment for Spyder and launch it with that env activated ---
**Author:** ![DukeNukem](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/dukenukem/32/2993_2.png) [@DukeNukem](https://mne.discourse.group/u/DukeNukem)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 2:42pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/10 "2024-12-02T14:42:13Z")
but why? I also tried downloading spyder from their website and setting it up separately, but let it use the MNE python interpreter just as was described. I tried to install the necessary dependency libraries to run MNE und MNE graphics. This would break the Spyder environment completely. Do you all use a different IDE? If Spyder is now unsupported, I would be open to switching to something else. As I described, I just experienced a lot of problems with unavailable and incompatible dependencies when combining MNE with other python environments. ---
**Author:** ![larsoner](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/larsoner/32/3_2.png) [@larsoner](https://mne.discourse.group/u/larsoner)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 2:55pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/11 "2024-12-02T14:55:44Z")
VSCode is very common nowadays, I’ve used it for a few years now as have a lot of other devs I know. For MNE incompatibilities keep in mind `conda install mne` will install and require a ton of stuff, `conda install mne-base` will require much less (but you might have to manually install some other dependencies you need). So if you need better compat with another env then `conda install mne-base` is generally much easier. ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/12 "2024-12-02T15:24:32Z")
Thanks @larsoner, I had forgotten about that! I think as soon as Spyder starts supporting Qt6, we can include it again. But I might be mistaken! ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 1:59pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/13 "2024-12-03T13:59:39Z")
We’re tracking this issue here: > > > https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583 ---
**Author:** ![DukeNukem](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/dukenukem/32/2993_2.png) [@DukeNukem](https://mne.discourse.group/u/DukeNukem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/14 "2024-12-03T14:51:21Z")
I know that my personal opinion isn’t all that important, but I certainly prefer Spyder over a Microsoft product anytime, so I would appreciate if MNE could retain Spyder-support. ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 6:04pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/15 "2024-12-03T18:04:42Z")
@larsoner Do you think we could at least ship the Spyder kernel package so that a standalone Spyder could make use of the deployed MNE environment? ---
**Author:** ![larsoner](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/larsoner/32/3_2.png) [@larsoner](https://mne.discourse.group/u/larsoner)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/mne-18-0-on-macos-m1-wont-launch-spyder/10583/16 "2024-12-03T18:43:54Z")
We already do (and have for a while I think), should be in the 1.8.0 installer >