OpenAI Universe tutorial code freezes during content download process

[ameliat]

I’ve been working through the basic tutorial for OpenAI Universe and I’m running into a frustrating problem. When I try to execute the starter code, everything seems to initialize properly at first. The import statement works without any errors, and my internet connection is stable and fast.

However, the program gets stuck when it tries to download the game environment files. It just sits there indefinitely without making any progress or showing error messages. I’ve waited for over an hour but nothing happens.

import gym
import universe

env = gym.make('flashgames.DuskDrive-v0')
env.configure(remotes=1)

The issue appears right after the configure step when it should start downloading the necessary game assets. Has anyone else encountered this hanging behavior? I’m wondering if there’s a timeout setting I should adjust or if there’s a network configuration issue I’m missing.

[olivias]

This hanging issue drove me crazy for weeks until I figured out it was environment variables. Universe needs specific variables set for authentication and downloads - mainly UNIVERSE_CACHE_DIR and UNIVERSE_RUNTIME_ID. Without these, downloads start but never finish because they can’t establish the right session state. Set these variables explicitly before running your code. Also check your Python SSL certificates - some installations have outdated certs that cause silent HTTPS failures from Universe’s servers. Running pip install --upgrade certifi fixed my certificate timeouts.

[Dave_17Sketch]

Had this exact freezing issue for weeks when I started using Universe. It’s usually DNS problems during asset downloads. Universe tries connecting to CDN endpoints, and if your DNS can’t resolve them, it just hangs with no error message. Switching to Google DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) fixed it for me. Also check if you’re behind a proxy - Universe handles those terribly and fails silently. Try running with verbose logging to see exactly where it’s getting stuck.

[bellagarcia]

yeah, kinda had the same prob too! adding start_timeout=300 to your configure line might help. also, make sure your firewall ain’t blocking things – it really slowed me down before. sometimes their servers can be super slow too.

[Mandy_45Photography]

honestly, universe feels pretty dead. openai hasn’t touched it in 2+ years, and downloads are super unreliable. try gym-retro instead – way more stable and won’t leave you hanging.

[scarlettturner]

Had this exact freezing problem for days when I started with Universe. Turns out it wasn’t network timeouts - it’s a Docker connectivity issue. Universe needs Docker containers to run environments, and if Docker isn’t configured right or running properly, downloads just hang silently. Check that Docker’s actually running and has the right permissions. Clearing Docker’s cache and restarting the daemon fixed it completely for me. Also, some corporate networks block the ports Universe uses for container communication. Try a different network if you can.