Fixing PySpark and iPython notebook error – Py4JJavaError when using count() and first()

PySpark and iPython notebook error – Py4JJavaError when using count() and first() is an error which occurs because of PySpark compatibility issues.

I will explain why this error takes place and how to fix it, while also trying to add other solutions that could solve the error.

Exploring PySpark and iPython notebook error – Py4JJavaError when using count() and first()

This is an error which occurs because of PySpark compatibility issues.

The error message should look like the error message bellow.

                                                                       #
Py4JJavaError: An error occurred while calling z:org.apache.spark.api.python.PythonRDD.collectAndServe.
: org.apache.spark.SparkException: Job aborted due to stage failure: .............
                                                                       #

Bellow I will present multiple solutions some have worked for me and others have worked for other developers.

Solution 1 : Solve Python and PySpark compatibility issues.

The error happens because we are dealing with PySpark compatibility issues. As of now the latest version only supports Python 3.7 and newer versions.

You can verify this here : https://spark.apache.org/docs/latest/#

So you have two choices, either you use earlier versions of python with earlier versions of Pyspark. Or, use the latest version of PySpark with python versions superior to Python 3.7.

For the latest version, you can do this

                                                                       #
pip install pyspark==3.3.0
                                                                       #

The error should be gone after trying the method above, if the error persists, try the method bellow.

Solution 2 : Install the java-jdk with conda

If you have PySpark and Anaconda, the best fix is to get the java-jdk . The JDK includes tools for developing and testing programs written in the Java programming language and running on the Java platform.

Here is the official link to the Java Jdk : https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/downloads/

For Anaconda users, it is this link : https://anaconda.org/cyclus/java-jdk

You can install the jdk using Conda with the command bellow.

                                                                       #
conda install -c cyclus java-jdk
                                                                       #

I hope this method or the method before it has solved your problem, thank you for reading.

Summing-up : 

Guys, this has been my best attempt at helping you understand and solve the error : PySpark and iPython notebook error Py4JJavaError when using count() and first() . I hope you found a solution which suits your needs. Consider helping the blog if you can by donating to our Kofi account.

Thank you for reading, keep coding and cheers. If you want to learn more about Python, please check out the Python Documentation : https://docs.python.org/3/