tensorflow.python.framework.errors_impl.NotFoundError adds $ sign - python-3.x

Question

I'm trying to train a pre-trained object detection model to detect objects from my custom dataset. All is running on Google Colab. I prepared the images, created TFRecord files for train and test, installed Tensorflow Object detection API from source, and tested that it works.
First I suspected it is a PYTHONPATH problem, but even when adding the folder with the config to path, it does not work.
This is my command line (I invoke the script from research folder, as in documentation):
#From the tensorflow/models/research/ directory
PIPELINE_CONFIG_PATH='/content/gdrive/My\ Drive/AI/grape4/work/model/ssd_mobilenet_v2_oid_v4.config'
MODEL_DIR=os.path.join('/content/gdrive/My\ Drive/AI/grape4/work', 'model')
NUM_TRAIN_STEPS=5000
NUM_EVAL_STEPS=1000
!python object_detection/model_main.py \
--pipeline_config_path=${PIPELINE_CONFIG_PATH} \
--model_dir=${MODEL_DIR} \
--num_train_steps=${NUM_TRAIN_STEPS} \
--num_eval_steps=${NUM_EVAL_STEPS} \
--alsologtostderr
Below is the error I'm getting. I confirm the mentioned file exists in the folder. But what is strange to me is the added $ sign (dollar sign) in the trace:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "object_detection/model_main.py", line 109, in <module>
tf.app.run()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/tensorflow/python/platform/app.py", line 40, in run
_run(main=main, argv=argv, flags_parser=_parse_flags_tolerate_undef)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/absl/app.py", line 300, in run
_run_main(main, args)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/absl/app.py", line 251, in _run_main
sys.exit(main(argv))
File "object_detection/model_main.py", line 71, in main
FLAGS.sample_1_of_n_eval_on_train_examples))
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/object_detection-0.1-py3.6.egg/object_detection/model_lib.py", line 605, in create_estimator_and_inputs
pipeline_config_path, config_override=config_override)
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/object_detection-0.1-py3.6.egg/object_detection/utils/config_util.py", line 103, in get_configs_from_pipeline_file
proto_str = f.read()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/tensorflow/python/lib/io/file_io.py", line 122, in read
self._preread_check()
File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/tensorflow/python/lib/io/file_io.py", line 84, in _preread_check
compat.as_bytes(self.__name), 1024 * 512)
tensorflow.python.framework.errors_impl.NotFoundError: $/content/gdrive/My Drive/AI/grape4/work/model/ssd_mobilenet_v2_oid_v4.config; No such file or directory
Does anyone know where the problem might be?

Answer 1

I cannot exactly point what the problem is. But I think there might be 2 problems:
1. The path thats pointing to the .config file might be wrong.
2. The .config file might be corrupted.
Please take a look at this issues where problems #1 and #2 are being discussed clearly. I hope this helps!