[Tutor] pip stopped working gives error

[Jim]

On 05/03/2018 02:42 PM, Mats Wichmann wrote:
> On 05/03/2018 01:10 PM, Jim wrote:
>> I have python 3.6 installed in a virtual environment on Mint 18. Today I
>> wanted to use pip and got this error when I tried to use it.
>>
>>   (env36) jfb at jims-mint18 ~ $ pip help
>> Traceback (most recent call last):
>>    File "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/bin/pip", line 7, in <module>
>>      from pip import main
>>    File
>> "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/__init__.py", line
>> 43, in <module>
>>      from pip.utils import get_installed_distributions, get_prog
>>    File
>> "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/utils/__init__.py",
>> line 23, in <module>
>>      from pip.locations import (
>>    File
>> "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/locations.py", line
>> 9, in <module>
>>      from distutils import sysconfig
>> ImportError: cannot import name 'sysconfig'
>>
>> I searched for sysconfig and found this:
>>
>> /home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/_vendor/distlib/_backport/__pycache__/sysconfig.cpython-36.pyc
>>
>> /home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/_vendor/distlib/_backport/sysconfig.cfg
>>
>> /home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/_vendor/distlib/_backport/sysconfig.py
>>
>>
>> The results seem to be the same as when I searched a python 3.5 virtual
>> environment I have setup.
>>
>> It has worked in the past as I have installed pylint and pykeyboard with
>> it. As I type this I just remembered Mint updated python 3.6 earlier today.
>>
>> So now I suspect the update is involved. Has anyone else experienced
>> this and know how to fix it?
> 
> I heard distutils may have been split out... see if you have a package
> python3-distutils and if not installed, can you install it?

I have:

//usr/lib/python3.5/distutils
and
//usr/lib/python3.6/distutils, but no python3-distutils.

Checking in Synaptic there is no python3-distutils but there is a
python3-distutils-extra.

Regards, Jim