Hello everyone,
I’d like to propose renaming the notebook_launcher function in the Hugging Face Accelerate library to something more general and intuitive. While the current name does describe its compatibility with Jupyter Notebooks, I believe it unintentionally limits its perceived scope and accessibility, especially for newcomers.
As someone relatively new to distributed training, I initially struggled to locate this function because the term “notebook” in its name led me to assume it was exclusively designed for Jupyter Notebook environments. However, after exploring its functionality, I realized that notebook_launcher is a versatile tool capable of spawning distributed training processes programmatically within Python—essentially serving as a functional counterpart to the Accelerate CLI.
Given its broader utility beyond Jupyter Notebooks, I suggest renaming it to something more universal, such as distributed_launcher or accelerate_launcher. A more general name would better reflect its role as a Python-native solution for distributed training and make it easier for users across different environments (e.g., scripts, IDEs) to discover and adopt.
This change could help:
- Improve discoverability: A broader name would resonate with users searching for tools related to distributed training.
- Reduce confusion: New users might not mistakenly assume it’s restricted to Jupyter Notebook usage.
- Highlight versatility: The function’s ability to work seamlessly across various Python environments would be clearer.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this suggestion! Would a name change like this improve usability and accessibility for others? If so, I’d be happy to help further refine the proposal or assist in any way possible 
Thank you for considering this idea!