[issue37541] get_python_lib() returns incorrect path for site-packages

[Saba Kauser]

New submission from Saba Kauser <skauseribmdb at gmail.com>:

HI,
I am using get_python_lib() to copy certain data files to site-pacakges location while installation of package ibm_db. I am using this function to execute a command as well on one of the shared library @package install location.
So far, I have faced issue with this function in:
virtual env, anaconda python and with pip cache enabled. 

The source can be found at: https://github.com/ibmdb/python-ibmdb/blob/master/IBM_DB/ibm_db/setup.py#L242

When I run through debugger for python setup.py build command, I can see following:
(Pdb) p data_files
[('C:\\Users\\skauser\\Anaconda\\Lib\\site-packages', ['./README.md']), ('C:\\Users\\skauser\\Anaconda\\Lib\\site-packages', ['./CHANGES']), ('C:\\Users\\skauser\\Anaconda\\Lib\\site-packages', ['./LICENSE']), ('C:\\Users\\skauser\\Anaconda\\Lib\\site-packages', ['./config.py.sample'])]

However, in "python setup.py install", this folder structure is created:
C:\Users\skauser\Anaconda\Lib\site-packages\users\skauser\appdata\local\programs\python\python37\Lib and no data files are copied.

If I do : "pip install ." from source directory,
The data_files are copied under "c:\users\skauser\anaconda\lib\site-packages\users\skauser\anaconda\lib\site-packages" when the expectation is to have the files copied under "c:\users\skauser\anaconda\lib\site-packages".

Can you please look into this. 
Although this is not a serious problem for platforms other than mac, But on MAC, I am using this same function get_python_lib()to execute a system command and without this working properly, MAC users are unable to use the python ibm_db driver.

This is blocking! Please help.

----------
components: Distutils
messages: 347612
nosy: dstufft, eric.araujo, sabakauser
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: get_python_lib() returns incorrect path for site-packages
type: behavior
versions: Python 2.7, Python 3.5, Python 3.6, Python 3.7

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue37541>
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