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DOCS-3962: Tweak local module instructions #4330

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May 23, 2025
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DOCS-3962: Tweak local module instructions #4330

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DOCS-3962: Module fixes from feedback
JessamyT May 20, 2025
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JessamyT May 22, 2025
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JessamyT May 22, 2025
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12 changes: 4 additions & 8 deletions docs/operate/get-started/other-hardware/_index.md
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Expand Up @@ -778,6 +778,7 @@ On your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab in the [Viam app](https://app.viam.com), cli
Select **Local module**, then **Local module**.

Enter the absolute path to the <file>run.sh</file> script, for example `/home/jessamy/my-module/run.sh` on Linux, or `/Users/jessamy/my-python-sensor-module/run.sh` on macOS.
For modules configured this way, `viam-server` uses this path instead of the `entrypoint` field in your <file>meta.json</file> file.

Click **Create**.

Expand All @@ -788,6 +789,7 @@ On your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab in the [Viam app](https://app.viam.com), cli
Select **Local module**, then **Local module**.

Enter the absolute path to the <file>/bin/&#60;module-name&#62;</file> executable, for example `/home/jessamy/my-go-module/bin/mymodule` on Linux, or `/Users/jessamy/my-go-module/bin/mymodule` on macOS.
For modules configured this way, `viam-server` uses this path instead of the `entrypoint` field in your <file>meta.json</file> file.

Click **Create**.

Expand Down Expand Up @@ -828,7 +830,7 @@ For example, if you created a sensor component, check whether readings are displ
If your component works, you're almost ready to share your module by uploading it to the registry.
If not, you have some debugging to do.

Each time you make changes to your local module, you need to rebuild the module and then restart its instance on your machine.
Each time you make changes to your local module code, you need to update its instance on your machine:

{{< tabs >}}

Expand All @@ -843,13 +845,7 @@ viam module reload <insert relevant named args>
{{% /tab %}}
{{% tab name="Python: venv" %}}

Run the following command to rebuild your module:

```sh {id="terminal-prompt" class="command-line" data-prompt="$"}
viam module build local
```

Then restart it in your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab in the Viam app.
Restart the module in your machine's **CONFIGURE** tab in the Viam app.
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so for pyinstaller I need to run the CLI command but for venv I need to do it in the UI? What happens if I use the restart option in the UI for pyinstaller and the cli command for venv?

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So they're not actually the same--reload rebuilds AND restarts, whereas the UI just restarts. So, reload is unnecessarily time consuming if using run.sh as the entrypoint, because nothing needs to be built.

If you use the restart button for pyinstaller, you won't have a newly-built executable--you'll just be restarting the same executable you used previously.

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@JessamyT JessamyT May 21, 2025 •
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Do you think I should make this more explicit? Didn't want to over-explain and make it too verbose, but rather just tell them what they need to do.

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Yeah I think it may just be a bit of a tripwire where people see viam module build local on the first tab and expect to be able to do the same on venv. I think a sentence about "Because you're using pyinstaller it is enough to rebuild the module with: ..." and soemthing similar on venv would avoid any stumbling

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Okay added something to the venv tab but I think the first tab is okay as-is now that the venv tab addresses why it's different.

In upper right corner of the module's card, click **...** menu, then click **Restart**.

{{<imgproc src="/registry/restart-module.png" resize="x600" declaredimensions=true alt="Module menu." style="width:300px" class="shadow" >}}
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