pip3 fails to install "distribute" and "pyzmail" where pip succeeds

[Rolf Leggewie]

This is in bionic

"pip install pyzmail" and "pip install distribute" work whereas the same is not true for pip3.

There is some discussion about this at https://www.reddit.com/r/learnpython/comments/5tonwr/automate_the_boring_stuff_problem_installing_the/

$ pip3 install distribute
Collecting distribute
  Using cached https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/5f/ad/1fde06877a8d7d5c9b60eff7de2d452f639916ae1d48f0b8f97bf97e570a/distribute-0.7.3.zip
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
      File "/tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/setuptools/__init__.py", line 2, in <module>
        from setuptools.extension import Extension, Library
      File "/tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/setuptools/extension.py", line 5, in <module>
        from setuptools.dist import _get_unpatched
      File "/tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/setuptools/dist.py", line 7, in <module>
        from setuptools.command.install import install
      File "/tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/setuptools/command/__init__.py", line 8, in <module>
        from setuptools.command import install_scripts
      File "/tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/setuptools/command/install_scripts.py", line 3, in <module>
        from pkg_resources import Distribution, PathMetadata, ensure_directory
      File "/tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/pkg_resources.py", line 1518, in <module>
        register_loader_type(importlib_bootstrap.SourceFileLoader, DefaultProvider)
    AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader'

    ----------------------------------------
Command "python setup.py egg_info" failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-build-cacqnajy/distribute/

$ pip3 install pyzmail
Collecting pyzmail
  Using cached https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/23/9a/c8709821fa15cec44f825fba884284b261a06d8a0033a16f4c35470eb26a/pyzmail-1.0.3.tar.gz
Collecting distribute (from pyzmail)
  Using cached https://files.pythonhosted.org/packages/5f/ad/1fde06877a8d7d5c9b60eff7de2d452f639916ae1d48f0b8f97bf97e570a/distribute-0.7.3.zip
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
      File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/setuptools/__init__.py", line 2, in <module>
        from setuptools.extension import Extension, Library
      File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/setuptools/extension.py", line 5, in <module>
        from setuptools.dist import _get_unpatched
      File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/setuptools/dist.py", line 7, in <module>
        from setuptools.command.install import install
      File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/setuptools/command/__init__.py", line 8, in <module>
        from setuptools.command import install_scripts
      File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/setuptools/command/install_scripts.py", line 3, in <module>
        from pkg_resources import Distribution, PathMetadata, ensure_directory
      File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/pkg_resources.py", line 1518, in <module>
        register_loader_type(importlib_bootstrap.SourceFileLoader, DefaultProvider)
    AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader'

    ----------------------------------------
Command "python setup.py egg_info" failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Kai Kasurinen (kai-kasurinen)]

https://github.com/aspineux/pyzmail/issues/15

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Kai, please be more verbose when setting confirmed bugs to invalid.

I can't see anything in your link explaining and supporting your change of status for this ticket.

[Kai Kasurinen (kai-kasurinen)]

Not pips fault. Error is coming from legacy package distribute 0.7.3 downloaded from pypi:

File "/tmp/pip-build-03lps3a8/distribute/pkg_resources.py", line 1518, in <module>
        register_loader_type(importlib_bootstrap.SourceFileLoader, DefaultProvider)
    AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader'

see also:
https://bugs.python.org/issue23911
https://github.com/pypa/setuptools/issues/378
https://pypi.org/project/distribute/

[Rolf Leggewie (r0lf)]

Thank you.

I agree with your assessment now. For anyone running into this issue, my current suggestion is to install pyzmail36 instead for pip3 via "pip3 install pyzmail36". I can confirm it installs fine.