Impressive does not start: Cannot load necessary modules: No module named TiffImagePlugin

[Rainer]

Impressive does not start in the current Raring beta:

$ impressive
Welcome to Impressive version 0.10.3
Oops! Cannot load necessary modules: No module named TiffImagePlugin
To use Impressive, you need to install the following Python modules:
 - PyOpenGL [python-opengl] http://pyopengl.sourceforge.net/
 - PyGame [python-pygame] http://www.pygame.org/
 - PIL [python-imaging] http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/
 - PyWin32 (OPTIONAL, Win32) http://starship.python.net/crew/mhammond/win32/
Additionally, please be sure to have pdftoppm or GhostScript installed if you
intend to use PDF input.

Changing line 186 in /usr/bin/impressive from
import TiffImagePlugin, ...
to
from PIL import TiffImagePlugin, ...
fixes the problem.

$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID: Ubuntu
Description: Ubuntu Raring Ringtail (development branch)
Release: 13.04
Codename: raring

$ apt-cache policy impressive
impressive:
  Installed: 0.10.3-2
  Candidate: 0.10.3-2
  Version table:
 *** 0.10.3-2 0
        500 http://ubuntu.inode.at/ubuntu/ raring/universe amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ python -V
Python 2.7.4

Expected behavior: Impressive starts
What happens: Impressive does not start but displays the error message mentioned above

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Aleksander Sumowski (sumek)]

I've installed all suspect python3-imaging-* packages as well. Didn't help

[Martin Ueding (martin-ueding)]

I looked into the `impressive.py` script and it starts Python 2, so your installing of those should have no effect.

I just wrote an email to the program author, maybe he has an idea.

[Sherwood (sherwoodinc)]

My 2 cents:

Editing line 186 of impressive.py from:

[code]
    import TiffImagePlugin, BmpImagePlugin, JpegImagePlugin, PngImagePlugin, PpmImagePlugin
[/code]

to:

[code]
    from PIL import TiffImagePlugin, BmpImagePlugin, JpegImagePlugin, PngImagePlugin, PpmImagePlugin
[/code]

makes impressive start. BUT (there's always a but) in my install the program hangs when trying to switch slides.
I'm not sure if this is a problem of mine only.

Can anybody confirm doing this small change?

[Ubuntu 13.04 64 bit, standard packages for impressive and depsndencies installed]

[Rainer (rainerf)]

@Sherwood (#5): Impressive works flawlessly for me (RR with latest updates) with the change mentioned above, tested on several presentations since I originally reported the bug.

[Rainer (rainerf)]

As an additional info, I tried to locate Impressive's repository: the "Browse SVN" link on http://sourceforge.net/projects/impressive/files/ leads to http://svn.emphy.de/impressive/trunk/impressive/, which includes (amongst others) http://svn.emphy.de/impressive/trunk/impressive/src/init.py which, in the newest version, uses the same import statement as suggested in my original report.

However, since the whole source code seems to have been heavily refactored, I did not check whether or not this this change requires additional modifications in the code.

[Theodotos Andreou (theodotos)]

Thanks for the workaround Rainer.

[Martin Magnusson (martin-blecket)]

The workaround works for mee, too.

However, impressive takes a very long time to start up now. Once it's started, I can navigate the pages as expected, but it takes 20-30 seconds from after I run impressive until the window opens up, using a 62 MB, 23 page PDF. I have tried running with and without "-cp" for cached rendering, without difference.

[Martin Adelaido (maradel67)]

Partial.. work for mee..
The problem is the module: import python

"Hello,
This is a result of the replacement of the traditional python-imaging (PIL) with the pillow fork. Apparently ubuntu provides a python-imaging-compat, which should keep older software working"
from link: http://sourceforge.net/p/gimagereader/discussion/1050200/thread/b72b3c7a/?limit=50

edit file :
sudo gedit /usr/share/impressive/impressive.py

search with gedit (Ctrl-F): TiffImagePlugin...located in section
# import special modules
...
 import TiffImagePlugin, BmpImagePlugin, JpegImagePlugin, PngImagePlugin, PpmImagePlugin

and comment (#) ...change for:
# import TiffImagePlugin, BmpImagePlugin, JpegImagePlugin, PngImagePlugin, PpmImagePlugin

Save.. and Impressive ok...

[David Haller (davidhaller-deactivatedaccount)]

Both workarounds make impressive starting up, but it's very slow, screen nearly freezes.