skillfed

fine-tuning-with-trl

This skill teaches post-training techniques for aligning language models to human preferences. It covers supervised fine-tuning, direct preference optimization (DPO), and online reinforcement learning methods like RLOO and GRPO, with complete workflows and practical examples.

fine-tuning-with-trl teaches you to align language models with human preferences using DPO, RLOO, and GRPO methods.

AI-generated summary based on this skill's SKILL.md

221,503 42,317 MIT updated by NousResearch

Install

NousResearch/hermes-agent/trl-fine-tuning · repository language: Python

git clone https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent
cp -r hermes-agent/optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning ~/.claude/skills/trl-fine-tuning
npx skillfed install NousResearch/hermes-agent/trl-fine-tuning

Frequently asked questions

AI-generated answers based on this skill's SKILL.md and metadata

What does fine-tuning-with-trl teach about DPO for LLM alignment?

fine-tuning-with-trl covers Direct Preference Optimization (DPO) as a key method for aligning language models with human preferences. DPO trains models directly on preference pairs without requiring a separate reward model, making it more efficient than traditional RLHF. The skill includes practical examples and implementation guidance for applying DPO to your models.

How do I implement a complete RLHF pipeline using fine-tuning-with-trl?

fine-tuning-with-trl teaches the full RLHF workflow: starting with supervised fine-tuning (SFT) on instruction data, then training a reward model to score outputs based on preference data, and finally running online RL using methods like RLOO or GRPO. The skill provides step-by-step guidance and code examples for each stage.

Can fine-tuning-with-trl help me train a reward model?

Yes. fine-tuning-with-trl covers reward model training to score language model outputs based on human preference data. This is a critical component of preference alignment pipelines. The skill explains how to prepare preference datasets and train models that effectively distinguish between better and worse outputs.

What alignment methods does fine-tuning-with-trl compare?

fine-tuning-with-trl covers SFT (supervised fine-tuning), DPO (direct preference optimization), RLOO (online reinforcement learning), and GRPO (group relative policy optimization). The skill helps you choose between these methods based on your use case, considering factors like computational efficiency, data requirements, and alignment quality.

How does fine-tuning-with-trl address training instability and memory issues?

fine-tuning-with-trl includes troubleshooting guidance for common preference alignment challenges like out-of-memory errors, poor output quality, and training instability. The skill provides practical solutions and best practices to help you debug and optimize your alignment training workflows.

What is the license for fine-tuning-with-trl?

fine-tuning-with-trl is released under the MIT license, allowing free use, modification, and distribution for both commercial and personal projects.

SKILL.md

rendered from the published skill — quoted content, verbatim

TRL - Transformer Reinforcement Learning

Quick start

TRL provides post-training methods for aligning language models with human preferences.

Installation:

pip install trl transformers datasets peft accelerate

Supervised Fine-Tuning (instruction tuning):

from trl import SFTTrainer

trainer = SFTTrainer(
    model="Qwen/Qwen2.5-0.5B",
    train_dataset=dataset,  # Prompt-completion pairs
)
trainer.train()

DPO (align with preferences):

from trl import DPOTrainer, DPOConfig

config = DPOConfig(output_dir="model-dpo", beta=0.1)
trainer = DPOTrainer(
    model=model,
    args=config,
    train_dataset=preference_dataset,  # chosen/rejected pairs
    processing_class=tokenizer
)
trainer.train()

Common

(truncated - see the full file via the links below)

Read as markdown · JSON record · Browse the source repository

File tree — 7 files
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/SKILL.md
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/references/dpo-variants.md
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/references/grpo-training.md
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/references/online-rl.md
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/references/reward-modeling.md
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/references/sft-training.md
optional-skills/mlops/training/trl-fine-tuning/templates/basic_grpo_training.py

Related skills

Tags

instruction-tuning policy-optimization human-feedback-learning model-alignment reward-scoring online-reinforcement-learning preference-data llm-training-pipeline memory-efficient-training loss-function-variants