fix custom metal extension (#2446)

.circleci/config.yml

@@ -164,9 +164,11 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: Build example extension
           command: |
+            source .venv/bin/activate
             cd examples/extensions
             uv pip install -r requirements.txt
-            uv run --no-project setup.py build_ext -j8
+            uv run --no-project setup.py build_ext --inplace
+            uv run --no-project python test.py
       - store_test_results:
           path: test-results
       - run:

docs/src/dev/extensions.rst

@@ -394,14 +394,14 @@ below.
         out.set_data(allocator::malloc(out.nbytes()));
 
         // Resolve name of kernel
-        std::ostringstream kname;
+        std::stream kname;
-        kname << "axpby_" << "general_" << type_to_name(out);
+        kname = "axpby_general_" + type_to_name(out);
 
         // Load the metal library
-        auto lib = d.get_library("mlx_ext");
+        auto lib = d.get_library("mlx_ext", current_binary_dir());
 
         // Make a kernel from this metal library
-        auto kernel = d.get_kernel(kname.str(), lib);
+        auto kernel = d.get_kernel(kname, lib);
 
         // Prepare to encode kernel
         auto& compute_encoder = d.get_command_encoder(s.index);

examples/extensions/axpby/axpby.cpp

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 // Copyright © 2023-2025 Apple Inc.
 
+#include <dlfcn.h>
 #include <iostream>
 #include <sstream>
 
@@ -16,6 +17,19 @@
 
 namespace my_ext {
 
+// A helper function to find the location of the current binary on disk.
+// The Metal library ("mlx_ext.mtllib"), should be in the same directory.
+std::string current_binary_dir() {
+  static std::string binary_dir = []() {
+    Dl_info info;
+    if (!dladdr(reinterpret_cast<void*>(&current_binary_dir), &info)) {
+      throw std::runtime_error("Unable to get current binary dir.");
+    }
+    return std::filesystem::path(info.dli_fname).parent_path().string();
+  }();
+  return binary_dir;
+}
+
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 // Operation Implementation
 ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -167,16 +181,15 @@ void Axpby::eval_gpu(
   }
 
   // Resolve name of kernel (corresponds to axpby.metal)
-  std::ostringstream kname;
+  std::string kname = "axpby_";
-  kname << "axpby_";
+  kname += (contiguous_kernel ? "contiguous_" : "general_");
-  kname << (contiguous_kernel ? "contiguous_" : "general_");
+  kname += type_to_name(out);
-  kname << type_to_name(out);
 
   // Load the metal library
-  auto lib = d.get_library("mlx_ext");
+  auto lib = d.get_library("mlx_ext", current_binary_dir());
 
   // Make a kernel from this metal library
-  auto kernel = d.get_kernel(kname.str(), lib);
+  auto kernel = d.get_kernel(kname, lib);
 
   // Prepare to encode kernel
   auto& compute_encoder = d.get_command_encoder(s.index);

examples/extensions/requirements.txt

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 setuptools>=42
 cmake>=3.25
 mlx>=0.21.0
-nanobind==2.2.0
+nanobind==2.4.0

examples/extensions/test.py

@@ -3,8 +3,10 @@ from mlx_sample_extensions import axpby
 
 a = mx.ones((3, 4))
 b = mx.ones((3, 4))
-c = axpby(a, b, 4.0, 2.0, stream=mx.cpu)
+c_cpu = axpby(a, b, 4.0, 2.0, stream=mx.cpu)
+c_gpu = axpby(a, b, 4.0, 2.0, stream=mx.gpu)
 
-print(f"c shape: {c.shape}")
+print(f"c shape: {c_cpu.shape}")
-print(f"c dtype: {c.dtype}")
+print(f"c dtype: {c_cpu.dtype}")
-print(f"c correct: {mx.all(c == 6.0).item()}")
+print(f"c_cpu correct: {mx.all(c_cpu == 6.0).item()}")
+print(f"c_gpu correct: {mx.all(c_gpu == 6.0).item()}")