code: def _load_parameters(self):
          
          datapath = self.dir
  
          startup_file = os.path.join(datapath, '.mlaunch_startup')
          if not os.path.exists(startup_file):
              return False
  
          in_dict = json.load(open(startup_file, 'rb'))
  
          # handle legacy version without versioned protocol
          if 'protocol_version' not in in_dict:
              in_dict['protocol_version'] = 1
              self.loaded_args = in_dict
              self.startup_info = {}
              # hostname was added recently
              self.loaded_args['hostname'] = socket.gethostname()
  
          elif in_dict['protocol_version'] == 2:
              self.startup_info = in_dict['startup_info']
              self.loaded_unknown_args = in_dict['unknown_args']
              self.loaded_args = in_dict['parsed_args']
  
          # changed 'authentication' to 'auth', if present (from old env) rename
          if 'authentication' in self.loaded_args:
              self.loaded_args['auth'] = self.loaded_args['authentication']
              del self.loaded_args['authentication']
  
          return True
docs: Load the .mlaunch_startup file that exists in each datadir.
  
          Handles different protocol versions.