Python 3 is missing a standard directory from the module search path

[Ian Bruene]

Running Ubuntu MATE 17.04.

Python 3 has multiple directories for installed modules. The paths for system packages (/usr/lib/) are all correctly added to sys.path, but one of the paths for user installed packages is missing.

The path /usr/local/lib/python3/ does not get added to sys.path. It's counterpart for system packages exists, and the python3.5/ or python3.6/ user paths are properly added to sys.path. Though it does not exist by default, the equivalent paths in ~/.local/ are also added when the directories exist.

This is causing problems for the NTPsec project, as python's distutils module tells our installer to place python modules under /usr/local/lib/python3/ where python cannot see them. So far attempts to work around this result in either very brittle build scripts, or require the user to modify their PYTHONPATH.

My understanding is that python search paths are determined by the distribution.

[Ubuntu Foundations Team Bug Bot (crichton)]

Thank you for taking the time to report this bug and helping to make Ubuntu better. It seems that your bug report is not filed about a specific source package though, rather it is just filed against Ubuntu in general. It is important that bug reports be filed about source packages so that people interested in the package can find the bugs about it. You can find some hints about determining what package your bug might be about at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/FindRightPackage. You might also ask for help in the #ubuntu-bugs irc channel on Freenode.

To change the source package that this bug is filed about visit https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1737623/+editstatus and add the package name in the text box next to the word Package.

[This is an automated message. I apologize if it reached you inappropriately; please just reply to this message indicating so.]

[Ian Bruene (ianbruene23)]

I tried to use "python3", which is the install name, and it was rejected. I also tried to do a search for the package and didn't turn up anything.