pip editable install fails with pyproject.toml, even with no setup.py import error
Explanation of the problem
The issue reported is related to a project that contains both a setup.py file and a pyproject.toml file. When attempting to perform an editable install using the command pip install -e ., an error occurs. The error message indicates a module not found error for setuptools. The user mentions that the error is not caused by running the setup.py file directly but rather by the custom pip command subprocess used during the build isolation process. The user expresses confusion about this behavior and considers it a regression, suggesting that when running in editable mode with a combination of setup.py and pyproject.toml, the build isolation should not be applied to subsequently run the setup.py file.
The user acknowledges that using the -e option is not supported by PEP 518 and is considered legacy behavior. However, they believe that the observed error is a regression and propose a more consistent approach that aligns with the legacy behavior. The user highlights that deleting the pyproject.toml file temporarily allows the installation to proceed without errors, and they argue that this behavior should be the expected outcome. They provide examples of two projects, ansible/ansible-builder and ansible/ansible-runner, where the error can be reproduced by running pip install -e .. The purpose of having both setup.py and pyproject.toml in these projects is to incorporate the latest features while maintaining compatibility, particularly for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).
In the final part of the description, the user includes a link to the verbose output of the installation process for the ansible/ansible-builder project. The output demonstrates the error encountered during the installation, and the user explains that the logs were truncated due to their length. The user suggests that any changes in the project’s structure can be made if it would help resolve the issue. They also mention that the setup.py file in the projects they provided as examples was generated using the library dephell, specifically using a template designed to create a compatibility-oriented setup.py script within projects that primarily utilize the new standard. To reproduce the error, the user recommends running pip install -e . from the root of the respective projects.
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Problem solution for pip editable install fails with pyproject.toml, even with no setup.py import error
The issue discussed revolves around the need to have setuptools installed before using setup.py and setup.cfg during the build process. To address this, it is necessary to specify setuptools as a requirement in the build-system table of the pyproject.toml file. A patch provided for the ansible/ansible-builder project demonstrates how to fix the problem by including setuptools in the requires field of the build-system table. This ensures that setuptools is available before reading setup.py.
In response to the problem, a user named Ellen Marie Dash shared a patch that can be applied to resolve the issue. The patch modifies the pyproject.toml file and specifies setuptools as a requirement alongside poetry in the requires field of the build-system table. By making this change, the build process will have access to setuptools before attempting to read the setup.py file. This solution has been proposed for the ansible/ansible-builder project and has been shared as a patch.
Additionally, the user named AlanCoding has submitted pull requests to fix the problem in both the ansible/ansible-builder and ansible/ansible-runner projects. The pull requests address the issue by incorporating the necessary changes to ensure that setuptools is included as a requirement during the build process. The provided links lead to the respective pull requests, where the changes can be reviewed and potentially merged to resolve the problem.
Other popular problems with pypa pip
Problem: Inconsistent behavior with respect to dependencies
One of the most commonly encountered problems with pypa pip is inconsistent behavior with respect to dependencies. The dependencies for a package may be specified in the setup.py file, but pip may not always install the correct version or may install additional dependencies that are not specified.
Solution:
The solution to this problem is to use a requirements.txt file, which specifies the exact versions of all dependencies that should be installed. This file can be provided to pip with the -r or --requirements option to ensure that the correct dependencies are installed.
Problem: Incompatibility with virtual environments
pypa pip can sometimes have issues when used in virtual environments, such as not recognizing the virtual environment’s Python installation or not installing packages into the virtual environment.
Solution:
The solution to this problem is to use the --user option when installing packages with pip. This option causes pip to install the package in the user’s home directory, which is separate from the virtual environment and will not cause any compatibility issues.
Problem: Unresolved dependencies
Another common problem with pypa pip is unresolved dependencies, where a package fails to install because one or more of its dependencies cannot be found or installed.
Solution:
The solution to this problem is to use the --no-deps or --no-dependencies option when installing packages with pip. This option causes pip to only install the requested package and not its dependencies, allowing the user to manually resolve any dependency issues. Alternatively, the pip community maintains a list of “known good” package indexes that can be used to resolve dependencies, which can be specified with the -i or --index-url option.
A brief introduction to pypa pip
pypa pip is a package manager for Python that allows users to easily install and manage packages for their Python applications. It is designed to work with the Python Package Index (PyPI), a repository of over 200,000 packages that can be installed with pip. pip provides a simple command line interface for installing packages and managing dependencies, making it an essential tool for Python developers.
pip uses the information specified in a package’s setup.py file to install the package and its dependencies. The setup.py file contains information about the package such as its name, version, and dependencies, as well as any scripts or data files that should be installed with the package. pip also supports the use of requirements.txt files, which specify the exact versions of dependencies that should be installed. This allows developers to have precise control over the packages and versions that are used in their projects.
Most popular use cases for pypa pip
- Installing and managing packages from the Python Package Index (PyPI)
pypa pip can be used to install packages from PyPI, which is a repository of over 200,000 packages for Python. The pip install command is used to install packages from PyPI, for example:
pip install <package-name>
- Managing dependencies for Python projects
pypa pip provides a convenient way to manage the dependencies for Python projects. Packages can specify their dependencies in their setup.py file, and pip will automatically install those dependencies when the package is installed. This makes it easy to ensure that all dependencies are correctly installed and up-to-date.
- Creating and distributing Python packages
pypa pip can also be used to create and distribute Python packages. Developers can use the pip wheel command to create a wheel (a pre-compiled package) that can be easily installed with pip. This makes it easy to distribute packages, as users only need to run pip install to get the latest version of the package and its dependencies.
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