[Tutor] ImportError: No module named '_sysconfigdata_m'

[Oscar Benjamin]

On 24 September 2013 13:18, Albert-Jan Roskam <fomcl at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>
>>On 23 September 2013 20:28, Albert-Jan Roskam <fomcl at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I just wanted to type "git status" in my Linux terminal but I made a typo
>>> and I got a long Python 3.3 traceback message. Just curious: What does it
>>> mean?
>>>
>>> gigt status
>>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/site.py", line 631, in <module>
>>>     main()
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/site.py", line 616, in main
>>>     known_paths = addusersitepackages(known_paths)
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/site.py", line 284, in addusersitepackages
>>>     user_site = getusersitepackages()
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/site.py", line 260, in getusersitepackages
>>>     user_base = getuserbase() # this will also set USER_BASE
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/site.py", line 250, in getuserbase
>>>     USER_BASE = get_config_var('userbase')
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/sysconfig.py", line 580, in get_config_var
>>>     return get_config_vars().get(name)
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/sysconfig.py", line 530, in get_config_vars
>>>     _init_posix(_CONFIG_VARS)
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/sysconfig.py", line 403, in _init_posix
>>>     from _sysconfigdata import build_time_vars
>>>   File "/usr/lib/python3.3/_sysconfigdata.py", line 6, in <module>
>>>     from _sysconfigdata_m import *
>>> ImportError: No module named '_sysconfigdata_m'
>>
>>This message comes as Steven says from the Python code that checks
>>unrecognised commands against the apt database to offer suggestions
>>for how to install the command you want. The error message either
>>results from a bug in Ubuntu (assuming it is Ubuntu) or it is because
>>you've screwed with your system in some way (or both).
>>
>>Which version of Ubuntu are you using and did it come with Python 3.3
>>or did you install that separately somehow? I've had problems before
>>that come from installing newer Python versions that haven't yet been
>>appropriately patched for Ubuntu.
>
> I was planning to reply after I had the chance to do some checks that were suggested (I am on a Windows computer now) but I can't resist replying now.  I am using Linux Mint XFCE. I have to look up the exact version number. I recently downloaded and installed Python 3.3. I downloaded the tarball and compiled, tested and installed everything as per instructions in the (readme? install?) file. There where hundreds of tests and I confess I didn't closely study the test results (some would fail anyway, such as winreg). Apart from the behavior that I posted, everything appears to work normally (phew) If I type "python", python 2.7 fires up. Also, I entirely removed python 3.2 (sudo rm -rf $(which python3.2), IIRC), which came with Linux Mint. Not sure if this is relevant, but I also installed Tox ,which is a wrapper for virtualenv that makes it easy to e.g. run nosetests with different python versions.
>
>
> OoooOoOoh, I hope Steven is not correct that I messed up the Python version that my OS uses. ;-)

If you want to mess with your system 'sudo rm -rf' is definitely the
way to go. Don't bother reporting this as a bug since you've
*definitely* voided the warranty (that your free software didn't come
with).

Debian/Ubuntu and other derivatives such as Mint do not use the
python.org tarball as it comes out of the box. They apply a whole
bunch of system specific patches so that Python fits in with their
Debian way of doing things. This may be why you're seeing the error
with your un-patched CPython.

BTW why did you feel the need to delete it? If you say what you were
trying to achieve I guarantee that someone will suggest a better way
of achieving the same thing.


Oscar