# Import from local mt

**URL:** <https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951>\
**Category:** Hail Query & hailctl\
**Created:** [March 10, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951 "2021-03-10T16:29:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NLSVTN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/nlsvtn/32/339_2.png) [@NLSVTN](https://discuss.hail.is/u/NLSVTN)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/1 "2021-03-10T16:29:42Z")

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Is it possible to import MatrixTable from local storage instead of hadoop? My hadoop is sometimes may not work or stay in safe mode for too long and I just need to estimate parameters of mt that I have locally asap. Just using this:

`mt = hl.read_matrix_table(path_to_mt)`

gives me

> Error summary: HailException: MatrixTable and Table files are directories; path is not directory

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**Author:** ![tpoterba](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/tpoterba/32/61_2.png) [@tpoterba](https://discuss.hail.is/u/tpoterba)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:30pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/2 "2021-03-10T16:30:34Z")

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try `file:///path/to/mt`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![NLSVTN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/nlsvtn/32/339_2.png) [@NLSVTN](https://discuss.hail.is/u/NLSVTN)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:34pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/3 "2021-03-10T16:34:07Z")

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> [@tpoterba](#):
>
> file:///

It gives me ‘incompatible file format when reading’

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tpoterba](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/tpoterba/32/61_2.png) [@tpoterba](https://discuss.hail.is/u/tpoterba)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:35pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/4 "2021-03-10T16:35:54Z")

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what’s the full error?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![NLSVTN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/nlsvtn/32/339_2.png) [@NLSVTN](https://discuss.hail.is/u/NLSVTN)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/5 "2021-03-10T16:38:22Z")

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Error summary: HailException: incompatible file format when reading: /seqr-loading-test/HO\_WES.mt  
supported version: 1.3.0, found 1.5.0

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tpoterba](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/tpoterba/32/61_2.png) [@tpoterba](https://discuss.hail.is/u/tpoterba)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:38pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/6 "2021-03-10T16:38:59Z")

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This looks like you’re trying to read a newer file with an older version of Hail. That’s not supported.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![NLSVTN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/nlsvtn/32/339_2.png) [@NLSVTN](https://discuss.hail.is/u/NLSVTN)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:46pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/7 "2021-03-10T16:46:58Z")

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The Hail version is **0.2.28** , so does it mean that within 0.2 there is incompatibility between mt?

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**Author:** ![johnc1231](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discuss.hail.is/johnc1231/32/286_2.png) [@johnc1231](https://discuss.hail.is/u/johnc1231)\
**Post date:** [March 10, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://discuss.hail.is/t/import-from-local-mt/1951/8 "2021-03-10T16:48:41Z")

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There’s backwards compatibility only. 0.2.x can read files written in 0.2.y so long as x \>= y.

See [Hail | Change Log](https://hail.is/docs/0.2/change_log.html#what-stability-is-guaranteed)