The _lzma module is a built-in C extension in Python’s standard library (available since Python 3.3) that provides LZMA compression support. It’s often required by libraries like datasets (from Hugging Face), pandas, or PyTorch for handling compressed data formats. The ModuleNotFoundError typically occurs if your Python installation was compiled without LZMA support, which happens when the underlying liblzma (xz) development library is missing from your system during Python’s build process.

Based on your file path (/Users/...), you’re likely on macOS. Here’s how to fix this:

Step 1: Install the Missing XZ Library

• Install Homebrew if you don’t have it (package manager for macOS): Open Terminal and run /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)".
• Then, install the xz library:

  brew install xz
  

This provides the liblzma headers and libraries needed for Python to include _lzma support.

Step 2: Reinstall Python 3.10.19 with LZMA Support

• If you’re using pyenv (common for managing Python versions on macOS):
  1. Update pyenv: brew update && brew upgrade pyenv.
  2. Reinstall Python: pyenv uninstall 3.10.19 && pyenv install 3.10.19.
  3. Set it as global or local: pyenv global 3.10.19 (or pyenv local 3.10.19 for the project directory).
• If you’re using Homebrew for Python directly:
  1. Uninstall existing Python: brew uninstall --force python@3.10.
  2. Reinstall: brew install python@3.10.
• If you’re using the official Python installer from python.org:
  1. Download and reinstall Python 3.10.13 (latest in 3.10 series as of now; 3.10.19 might be a typo or custom build, but 3.10.13 is stable).
  2. Ensure xz is installed first via Homebrew as above.

Step 3: Verify and Reinstall Dependencies

• Activate your Python environment (if using virtualenv or similar): source /path/to/venv/bin/activate.
• Reinstall the datasets package: pip uninstall datasets && pip install datasets.
• Test the import in a Python shell:

  python -c "import lzma; print('LZMA imported successfully')"
  

  If this works, try your script again.

If you’re in a conda environment instead:

• Run conda install xz.
• Then reinstall datasets: conda install datasets (or use pip if mixed).

This should resolve the issue in most cases. If you’re on a different OS (e.g., Linux), let me know for tailored steps—e.g., on Ubuntu, it’s sudo apt update && sudo apt install liblzma-dev followed by Python reinstall. If the error persists, share more details like how you installed Python or your full pip list.