Description

The TypeScript SDK (mem0ai/oss) fails to load when the ollama package is not installed, even when using a completely different LLM provider (e.g., Gemini).

Environment

• mem0ai version: 2.1.38
• Node.js: 18+
• OS: Ubuntu 22.04

Configuration

import { Memory } from "mem0ai/oss";

const config = {
  llm: {
    provider: "gemini",  // NOT using Ollama
    config: {
      model: "gemini-2.0-flash-001",
      apiKey: process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY,
    }
  },
  embedder: {
    provider: "gemini",  // NOT using Ollama
    config: {
      model: "gemini-embedding-001",
      apiKey: process.env.GEMINI_API_KEY,
    }
  },
  vectorStore: {
    provider: "redis",
    config: { redisUrl: "redis://localhost:6379" }
  }
};

const memory = new Memory(config);

Error

Error: Cannot find module 'ollama'
Require stack:
- /app/node_modules/mem0ai/dist/oss/index.js

Root Cause

The bundled dist/oss/index.js contains static requires for ALL providers:

var import_ollama = require("ollama");   // Line executed at module load
var import_ollama2 = require("ollama");  // Even if not using Ollama!

Expected Behavior

Peer dependencies like ollama should be dynamically imported only when the corresponding provider is actually used:

// Instead of:
const ollama = require("ollama");

// Should be:
async function getOllamaClient() {
  const { Ollama } = await import("ollama");
  return new Ollama();
}

Workaround

Currently users must install ollama even if not using it:

npm install ollama

Comparison with Python SDK

The Python SDK handles this correctly with lazy imports and clear error messages:

# mem0/llms/ollama.py
try:
    from ollama import Client
except ImportError:
    raise ImportError("The 'ollama' library is required...")

Suggested Fix

1. Use dynamic import() for optional provider dependencies
2. Or split the bundle so provider-specific code is in separate chunks
3. Or use try/catch around requires with graceful fallback

Related

• Issue Automate Package Installation for Missing Dependencies #1768 - Automate Package Installation for Missing Dependencies