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Removes modular installation commands from docs#5021

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kellyguo11 wants to merge 7 commits intoisaac-sim:developfrom
kellyguo11:modular-install-docs
Draft

Removes modular installation commands from docs#5021
kellyguo11 wants to merge 7 commits intoisaac-sim:developfrom
kellyguo11:modular-install-docs

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Description

Updates documentation to clean up modular installation commands as they are not fully functional yet.

Type of change

  • Documentation update

Checklist

  • I have read and understood the contribution guidelines
  • I have run the pre-commit checks with ./isaaclab.sh --format
  • I have made corresponding changes to the documentation
  • My changes generate no new warnings
  • I have added tests that prove my fix is effective or that my feature works
  • I have updated the changelog and the corresponding version in the extension's config/extension.toml file
  • I have added my name to the CONTRIBUTORS.md or my name already exists there

@kellyguo11 kellyguo11 marked this pull request as draft March 14, 2026 02:30
@github-actions github-actions bot added the documentation Improvements or additions to documentation label Mar 14, 2026
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greptile-apps bot commented Mar 14, 2026

Greptile Summary

This PR cleans up Isaac Lab documentation by removing modular/partial installation commands that are not yet fully functional, simplifying the install story to the recommended full-bundle path.

Key changes:

  • src_build_isaaclab.rst: Removes per-RL-framework and per-submodule install examples; replaces the block with a single sentence clarifying that --install installs everything.
  • isaaclab_pip_installation.rst: Removes the extras table and all partial pip install variants (Isaac Lab only, individual sub-packages); only the full isaaclab[isaacsim,all] bundle command remains.
  • quickstart.rst: Removes the explicit CUDA-enabled PyTorch install step and marks the Isaac Sim install as (Optional) — which creates a potential documentation gap (see inline comment).

The first two files are clean improvements. The quickstart change warrants a second look: now that Isaac Sim is framed as optional, the guide no longer tells users who skip Isaac Sim how to obtain a CUDA-enabled PyTorch build, which every RL framework depends on.

Confidence Score: 4/5

  • Safe to merge with one minor documentation gap worth addressing before publication.
  • All three files are documentation-only changes with no code impact. The removals in src_build_isaaclab.rst and isaaclab_pip_installation.rst are clean and correct. The only concern is in quickstart.rst: removing the PyTorch install step while simultaneously marking Isaac Sim as Optional leaves users who skip Isaac Sim without guidance on obtaining PyTorch — a likely install-failure path. This is a documentation clarity issue rather than a correctness bug, hence a score of 4 rather than 5.
  • docs/source/setup/quickstart.rst — removal of PyTorch install step combined with the new "(Optional)" Isaac Sim label may leave a documentation gap for users who skip Isaac Sim.

Important Files Changed

Filename Overview
docs/source/setup/installation/include/src_build_isaaclab.rst Cleanly removes the modular per-framework / per-submodule install examples and replaces them with a single explanatory sentence; no issues.
docs/source/setup/installation/isaaclab_pip_installation.rst Removes the extras table and partial-install pip commands; only the recommended full bundle command (isaaclab[isaacsim,all]) remains. Clean and consistent.
docs/source/setup/quickstart.rst Removes the explicit CUDA PyTorch installation step and marks Isaac Sim as Optional, potentially leaving users who skip Isaac Sim without guidance on installing PyTorch.

Flowchart

%%{init: {'theme': 'neutral'}}%%
flowchart TD
    A[Create virtual environment] --> B[Update pip]
    B --> C{Install Isaac Sim?\nOptional}
    C -- Yes --> D["uv pip install isaacsim[all,extscache]"]
    C -- No --> E["⚠️ PyTorch not installed\n(no longer documented here)"]
    D --> F[Clone Isaac Lab repo]
    E --> F
    F --> G["./isaaclab.sh --install\n(installs all sub-packages)"]
    G --> H[Run training scripts]

    subgraph pip_path["Pip Package Path (isaaclab_pip_installation.rst)"]
        P1["uv pip install 'isaaclab[isaacsim,all]'"] --> P2[Install PyTorch CUDA]
        P2 --> P3[Run user scripts]
    end
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Last reviewed commit: 1cfb752

uv pip install --upgrade pip

and now we can install the Isaac Sim packages.
and now we can install the Isaac Sim packages (Optional).
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Missing PyTorch install step after making Isaac Sim optional

Before this PR the Isaac Sim install was unconditional, so PyTorch was always pulled in as a dependency. Now that the line reads "(Optional)", a user who skips the Isaac Sim step will find no instruction to install PyTorch anywhere in this guide — yet every RL framework (rl_games, rsl_rl, skrl, etc.) requires it.

The PR also removed the explicit CUDA-enabled PyTorch install command that used to appear just before this section:

uv pip install -U torch==2.10.0 torchvision==0.25.0 --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu128

If the intent is that ./isaaclab.sh --install handles PyTorch automatically (or that users can rely on Isaac Sim bringing it in), it would be worth adding a short note here. For example:

Suggested change
and now we can install the Isaac Sim packages (Optional).
and now we can install the Isaac Sim packages (Optional). If you skip this step, install
a CUDA-enabled PyTorch build manually before running ``isaaclab.sh --install``
(see the :ref:`pip-installation` guide for the recommended command).

Without any such guidance, users on the Newton-only kitless path who still want to use RL frameworks will hit confusing import errors.

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