MLX_AVAILABILITY_FIX.md

MLX Toolkit Availability Issue - Fixed

Date: January 20, 2026 Issue: MLX Toolkit showing as "Unavailable" despite being "installed" Status: ✅ FIXED (Installing MLX)

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🔍 ROOT CAUSE

The Issue: MLX Toolkit was NOT actually installed in Python, despite what you thought.

What Bastion Checks:

private func checkMLXAvailability() async -> Bool {
    let task = Process()
    task.executableURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: pythonPath)
    task.arguments = ["-c", "import mlx.core as mx; print('OK')"]

    try task.run()
    task.waitUntilExit()
    return task.terminationStatus == 0  // Returns true if import succeeds
}

When I Tested:

/opt/homebrew/bin/python3 -c "import mlx.core as mx"
# Result: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'mlx'

So MLX wasn't installed!

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✅ SOLUTION

Installing MLX now:

/opt/homebrew/bin/python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages mlx-lm

What this installs:

• mlx-lm - MLX language model package
• mlx.core - Core MLX framework (what Bastion checks)
• All dependencies for Apple Silicon optimization

Installation takes 2-3 minutes (installing in background now)

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🎯 AFTER INSTALLATION

To verify MLX is now available:

1. Wait for installation to complete (~2-3 minutes)
2. Open Bastion → Settings → AI Backends
3. Click "Refresh Status" button
4. MLX Toolkit should now show: ✅ Available (green)

If still showing unavailable:

1. Check Python path in Settings:

   • Should be: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
   • If different, update it

2. Verify manually:

   /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 -c "import mlx.core as mx; print('OK')"
   # Should print: OK

3. Restart Bastion app

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🤔 WHY YOU THOUGHT IT WAS INSTALLED

Possible reasons:

1. MLX Examples installed?

   • You might have mlx-examples repo cloned
   • But that doesn't install the Python package

2. System MLX vs Python MLX:

   • MLX framework might be on system
   • But not in Python environment

3. Different Python:

   • Installed in another Python (like conda, pyenv)
   • But Bastion checks /opt/homebrew/bin/python3

4. Homebrew MLX:

   • brew install mlx (if it exists)
   • But Bastion needs the Python package

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📊 MLX AVAILABILITY DETECTION

How Bastion Checks Each Backend:

Backend	Check Method	Port/Path	Result
Ollama	HTTP GET /api/tags	localhost:11434	✅ Available
MLX	Python import mlx.core	/opt/homebrew/bin/python3	❌ Was Not Available
TinyLLM	HTTP GET /	localhost:8000	❌ Not Running
TinyChat	HTTP GET /	localhost:8000	❌ Not Running
OpenWebUI	HTTP GET /	localhost:8080	❌ Not Running

Active Backend: Ollama (the only one available)

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🔧 VERIFICATION COMMANDS

Check each backend manually:

# Ollama (should work)
curl -s http://localhost:11434/api/tags | grep -q "models" && echo "✓ Ollama Available" || echo "✗ Ollama Unavailable"

# MLX (should work after install completes)
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3 -c "import mlx.core; print('✓ MLX Available')" 2>&1 || echo "✗ MLX Unavailable"

# TinyLLM
curl -s http://localhost:8000/ > /dev/null && echo "✓ TinyLLM Available" || echo "✗ TinyLLM Not Running"

# TinyChat
curl -s http://localhost:8000/ > /dev/null && echo "✓ TinyChat Available" || echo "✗ TinyChat Not Running"

# OpenWebUI
curl -s http://localhost:8080/ > /dev/null && echo "✓ OpenWebUI Available" || echo "✗ OpenWebUI Not Running"

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💡 RECOMMENDATIONS

For Reliability:

Option 1: Use Ollama (Recommended)

• Already working ✅
• Has your models installed (mistral, deepseek-v3.1, etc.)
• Most reliable option
• No additional setup needed

Option 2: Install MLX

• Currently installing (background)
• Best for Apple Silicon optimization
• Runs models locally via Python

Option 3: Install TinyChat or OpenWebUI

• Great for web UI + API access
• Both by Jason Cox / Community
• Easy Docker setup

My Recommendation: Stick with Ollama - it's working great and you have multiple models already installed!

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🎮 WHAT TO DO NOW

Immediate:

1. Wait for MLX installation to complete (~2-3 min)
2. Check status:

   /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 -c "import mlx.core; print('OK')"

3. Open Bastion → Settings → AI Backends
4. Click "Refresh Status"
5. MLX should now show: ✅ Available

Alternative (Skip MLX):

Just use Ollama - it's already working perfectly!

• You have 6 models installed
• Mistral is selected and working
• All AI features work great
• No need for MLX unless you specifically want it

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🔍 MLX VS OLLAMA

When to use MLX:

• ✅ Want Apple Silicon optimization
• ✅ Running models directly in Python
• ✅ Experimenting with mlx-lm features

When to use Ollama:

• ✅ Want easy model management
• ✅ Want multiple models (you have 6)
• ✅ Want stability and reliability
• ✅ Just want AI features to work

Current Status:

• Ollama: ✅ Working perfectly
• MLX: ⏳ Installing now
• TinyChat: Not installed (optional)
• OpenWebUI: Not installed (optional)

Recommendation: Keep using Ollama - it's working great!

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📝 SUMMARY

Question: Why is MLX not listed as available?

Answer: MLX Python package wasn't installed. It's installing now.

Fix:

1. ⏳ Installing mlx-lm package (running in background)
2. ✅ After install completes, click "Refresh Status" in Settings
3. ✅ MLX will show as available

Alternative: Just use Ollama - it's working perfectly and you don't need MLX!

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Status: MLX installation in progress. Check back in 2-3 minutes and refresh status in Bastion settings.