Install & Compatibility
Where this runs
tested against v0.4.2 · pip install
no network on importno background threads
Install × environment matrix
Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux
muslpy 3.10–3.95 runs
installs and imports cleanly · install 0.0s · import 1.328s · 210.2MB
glibcpy 3.10–3.95 runs
installs and imports cleanly · install 16.3s · import 1.236s · 214MB
219MB installed
● package 219MB
Code
Verified usage
Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.
TextLoader
✓ from langchain_community.document_loaders import TextLoader
✗ from langchain.document_loaders import TextLoader
Many document loaders were moved from `langchain` to `langchain_community` in v0.2.
FakeEmbeddings
✓ from langchain_community.embeddings import FakeEmbeddings
This provides a simple, dependency-free embedding for testing and quickstarts.
FAISS
✓ from langchain_community.vectorstores import FAISS
A popular in-memory vector store, moved to `langchain_community`.
ChatOpenAI
✓ from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI
✗ from langchain_community.chat_models import ChatOpenAI
Provider-specific chat models like `ChatOpenAI` are now in dedicated packages (e.g., `langchain-openai`), not directly in `langchain-community`.
This quickstart demonstrates how to load documents using `TextLoader` from `langchain-community`, create a simple vector store with `FAISS` and `FakeEmbeddings` (both from `langchain-community`), and then use an OpenAI Chat Model (from `langchain-openai`) with a basic RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) chain. It highlights using components from `langchain-community` alongside a common LLM provider package.
import os
from langchain_community.document_loaders import TextLoader
from langchain_community.embeddings import FakeEmbeddings
from langchain_community.vectorstores import FAISS
from langchain_core.prompts import ChatPromptTemplate
from langchain_core.output_parsers import StrOutputParser
from langchain_openai import ChatOpenAI # Requires 'pip install langchain-openai'
# Create a dummy text file for demonstration
with open("example.txt", "w") as f:
f.write("LangChain is a framework for developing applications powered by large language models (LLMs).")
f.write("\nIt enables applications that are context-aware and can reason over data.")
# Set your OpenAI API key (replace with actual key or environment variable)
# For a real application, use `os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY", "")`
os.environ["OPENAI_API_KEY"] = os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY", "sk-YOUR_OPENAI_KEY_HERE")
# 1. Load documents using a loader from langchain-community
loader = TextLoader("example.txt")
documents = loader.load()
print(f"Loaded {len(documents)} document(s).")
# 2. Create embeddings (using a fake one for simplicity in 'community' quickstart)
# For real use, install a provider package like `langchain-openai` and use its embeddings.
embeddings = FakeEmbeddings()
# 3. Create a vector store from documents and embeddings
vectorstore = FAISS.from_documents(documents, embeddings)
print("Vector store created.")
# 4. Perform a similarity search as a retriever
retriever = vectorstore.as_retriever()
# 5. Define a Chat Model (from a dedicated provider package, e.g., langchain-openai)
# Ensure OPENAI_API_KEY is set in your environment.
chat_model = ChatOpenAI(api_key=os.environ.get("OPENAI_API_KEY"))
# 6. Create a prompt template
prompt = ChatPromptTemplate.from_messages([
("system", "You are an AI assistant. Answer the question based ONLY on the provided context."),
("human", "Context: {context}\nQuestion: {question}")
])
# 7. Build a RAG chain
chain = (
{"context": retriever, "question": StrOutputParser()}
| prompt
| chat_model
| StrOutputParser()
)
# 8. Invoke the chain
question = "What is LangChain's primary purpose?"
response = chain.invoke(question)
print(f"\nQuestion: {question}")
print(f"Answer: {response}")
# Clean up the dummy file
os.remove("example.txt")
Debug
Known issues
breakingMinor versions of `langchain-community` (e.x., 0.x.y to 0.y.z) may introduce breaking changes. Unlike `langchain` and `langchain-core`, it does not strictly adhere to semantic versioning due to the nature of community contributions and third-party integrations.fixAlways check the changelog or release notes before upgrading minor versions of `langchain-community`. Pin your `langchain-community` version to prevent unexpected breakage.
affects: 0.1.0 and later
breakingMany third-party integrations (e.g., specific Document Loaders, Vector Stores, LLMs) were moved from the main `langchain` package to `langchain-community` or dedicated provider packages (e.g., `langchain-openai`, `langchain-anthropic`) starting with LangChain v0.2. Attempting to import from old paths will result in `ImportError`.fixUpdate your import statements: `from langchain.module import Class` becomes `from langchain_community.module import Class` or `from langchain_provider.module import Class`. Ensure the necessary integration package (e.g., `langchain-community`, `langchain-openai`) is installed.
affects: 0.2.0 and later (for `langchain` main package), 0.0.1 and later (for `langchain-community` after the split)
gotchaUsing specific integrations within `langchain-community` often requires installing additional, sometimes optional, Python packages (e.g., `beautifulsoup4` for `WebBaseLoader`, `faiss-cpu` for `FAISS`, `openai` for `langchain-openai` classes). A `ModuleNotFoundError` for a seemingly related package means a sub-dependency is missing.fixRefer to the specific integration's documentation to identify and install its required dependencies (e.g., `pip install langchain-community[webloaders]` or `pip install beautifulsoup4`). If using a dedicated provider package, install it (e.g., `pip install langchain-openai`).
affects: All versions
Errors
Common errors & fixes
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'langchain_community'
The `langchain-community` package is not installed in your Python environment or your virtual environment is not active.
fixpip install langchain-community
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'langchain.llms'
Components like LLMs, Chat Models, and Vector Stores were moved from the main `langchain` package to `langchain-community` or specific partner packages (e.g., `langchain-openai`) in LangChain v0.2.0+ due to a modularization effort.
fixChange the import path to `from langchain_community.llms import OpenAI` (or `from langchain_community.chat_models import ChatOpenAI`, `from langchain_community.vectorstores import FAISS`, etc.) and ensure `langchain-community` (and relevant partner packages like `langchain-openai`) is installed.
AttributeError: module 'langchain' has no attribute 'verbose'
This attribute or similar top-level configuration/utility functions have been removed or refactored in newer versions of LangChain (post-v0.2.0 modularization).
fixRemove the usage of `langchain.verbose` or consult the latest LangChain documentation for the equivalent new way to achieve the desired functionality (e.g., configuring logging directly or using `langchain_core` components).
LangChainDeprecationWarning: Importing vector stores from langchain is deprecated. Importing from langchain will no longer be supported as of langchain==0.2.0. Please import from langchain_community.vectorstores instead:
You are using an old import path for a component (like vector stores, document loaders, or embeddings) that has been moved to the `langchain-community` package as part of the LangChain v0.2.0+ modularization.
fixUpdate your import statement, for example, change `from langchain.vectorstores import FAISS` to `from langchain_community.vectorstores import FAISS`.
ImportError: cannot import name 'Chroma' from 'langchain_community.vectorstores'
The Chroma vector store integration has been moved from `langchain_community.vectorstores` to its own dedicated `langchain-chroma` package.
fixpip install langchain-chroma
from langchain_chroma import Chroma
Upgrade
Version history
0.4.2latest on PyPI · released May 22, 2026
Audit
Dependencies
langchain-corerequired`langchain-community` builds upon the core abstractions defined in `langchain-core`.
langchain-openaioptionalMany specific LLM/ChatModel integrations (e.g., OpenAI) have moved to dedicated provider packages for better modularity.
langchainoptionalThe main LangChain library for higher-level chains, agents, and retrieval algorithms.