Diagnose Kokoro TTS
Troubleshoot Kokoro TTS engine issues through systematic diagnostics.
Self-Evolving Skill: This skill improves through use. If instructions are wrong, parameters drifted, or a workaround was needed — fix this file immediately, don't defer. Only update for real, reproducible issues.
Known Issues
| Issue | Likely Cause | Diagnostic | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Import error | Venv corrupted | python -c "from mlx_audio.tts.utils import load_model" | kokoro-install.sh --uninstall && --install |
| Model not found | Download incomplete | ls ~/.cache/huggingface/hub/models--mlx-community--Kokoro-82M-bf16/ | kokoro-install.sh --install to re-download |
| Slow synthesis | First-run warmup | Time a test synthesis | Normal — subsequent runs use cached model |
| Not Apple Silicon | Intel/Linux system | uname -m!= arm64 | MLX-Audio requires Apple Silicon (M1+) |
| Wrong Python | Not 3.13 | ~/.local/share/kokoro/.venv/bin/python --version | Rebuild venv with --uninstall && --install |
| Server won't start | Port in use | lsof -i:8779 | Kill existing process or change port |
| No audio from CLI | Empty text | Check --text argument | Provide non-empty text |
Diagnostic Workflow
Step 1: Collect symptoms
Use AskUserQuestion:
- What happened? (import error, no audio, slow, server won't start)
- When? (after upgrade, first time, suddenly)
Step 2: Run automated diagnostics
# Platform check
echo "Arch: $(uname -m)"
echo "macOS: $(sw_vers -productVersion)"
# Venv check
[[ -d ~/.local/share/kokoro/.venv ]] && echo "Venv: OK" || echo "Venv: MISSING"
# Python version
~/.local/share/kokoro/.venv/bin/python --version 2>/dev/null || echo "Python: NOT FOUND"
# MLX-Audio import
~/.local/share/kokoro/.venv/bin/python -c "from mlx_audio.tts.utils import load_model; print('MLX-Audio: OK')" 2>&1 || echo "MLX-Audio: FAIL"
# Scripts present
for f in kokoro_common.py tts_generate.py tts_server.py; do
[[ -f ~/.local/share/kokoro/$f ]] && echo "$f: OK" || echo "$f: MISSING"
done
# Version info
cat ~/.local/share/kokoro/version.json 2>/dev/null || echo "version.json: MISSING"Step 3: Map to known issue and apply fix
Use the Known Issues table above to identify the root cause and apply the targeted fix.
Step 4: Verify
# Quick synthesis test
~/.local/share/kokoro/.venv/bin/python ~/.local/share/kokoro/tts_generate.py \
--text "Diagnostic test" --voice af_heart --lang en-us --speed 1.0 \
--output /tmp/kokoro-diag-test.wav && echo "Synthesis: OK"Post-Execution Reflection
After this skill completes, reflect before closing the task:
- Locate yourself. — Find this SKILL.md's canonical path before editing.
- What failed? — Fix the instruction that caused it.
- What worked better than expected? — Promote to recommended practice.
- What drifted? — Fix any script, reference, or dependency that no longer matches reality.
- Log it. — Evolution-log entry with trigger, fix, and evidence.
Do NOT defer. The next invocation inherits whatever you leave behind.