virtualenv does not create dist-packages directory

[Zygmunt Krynicki]

While experimenting with virtualenv on natty I discovered that it does not create lib/python2.X/dist-packages. This directory is also not present in the default sys.path inside the virtualenv. Manually creating this directory makes it show up on sys.path.

A part of the relevant discussion in #ubuntu-devel, it relates to another bug but it has a fragment where barry asks me to report a bug on virtualenv

21:21 < barry> zyga: so, you create a virtualenv with --no-site-packages, then you install some dependencies into the virtualenv, then you try to install the package you're developing and it ignores the dependencies, right?
21:22 < zyga> barry: mostly, I install them with --install-layout=deb, then I can install all the packages I want just fine, *then* any attempt to devlop a package involves re-fetching dependencies
21:23 < barry> zyga: and does it do the same thing if you don't use --install-layout=deb?
21:24 < zyga> barry: no
21:24 < zyga> barry: then it all works correctly
21:24 < zyga> barry: installing to site-packages
21:24 < zyga> barry: and creating/modifying the .pth file I hate
21:29 < barry> zyga: so, a couple of things. first, i searched around on bts and launchpad and didn't find anything relevant. second, we are a little behind upstream, but offhand don't see anything relevant, unless we're talking about fixes in newer versions of the bundled pip or distribute
21:30 < barry> zyga: so, i think you're encountering a bug in our version of virtualenv. it would be good to file a bug on that

^ "that" - missing dist-packages directory in virtualenv created by the natty's version of python-virtualenv

21:30 < zyga> barry: I reviewed them too but I did not find anything that seemed relevant
21:30 < zyga> barry: I'll be happy to
21:30 < barry> zyga: cool, thanks
21:30 < barry> zyga: next...
21:30 < barry> zyga: so, i think you're encountering a bug in our version of virtualenv. it would be good to file a bug on that
21:30 < zyga> barry: I reviewed them too but I did not find anything that seemed relevant
21:30 < zyga> barry: I'll be happy to
21:30 < barry> zyga: cool, thanks

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 11.04
Package: python-virtualenv 1.4.9-3ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.38-11.47-generic 2.6.38.8
Uname: Linux 2.6.38-11-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Architecture: amd64
Date: Thu Jul 28 21:41:04 2011
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" - Release amd64 (20101007)
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=pl_PL.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: python-virtualenv
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to natty on 2011-04-27 (92 days ago)

[Stefano Rivera (stefanor)]

I don't think --install-layout=deb makes much sense in a virtualenv

[Stefano Rivera (stefanor)]

Let's call this one done.