Max recursion in "pip install" & "setup.py install"

Question

I'm trying to install a package (splinter) on a Macbook (OS X 10.6.8), but I keep getting maximum recursion errors. They occur whether I use "setup.py install" or "pip install", and whether I try to do a global install or use virtualenv. They occurred both under Python 2.7.1 and 2.7.2. They occur when I do it a boat, they occur when I do it with a goat.

Please note that no one else seems to be having this problem with the splinter package.

The loopy bit of my trace back:

  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 972, in run_command
    cmd_obj.run()
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/egg_info.py", line 177, in run
    self.find_sources()
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/egg_info.py", line 252, in find_sources
    mm.run()
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/egg_info.py", line 306, in run
    self.add_defaults()
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/egg_info.py", line 330, in add_defaults
    sdist.add_defaults(self)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/command/sdist.py", line 264, in add_defaults
    for pkg, src_dir, build_dir, filenames in build_py.data_files:
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/build_py.py", line 39, in __getattr__
    self.data_files = files = self._get_data_files(); return files
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/build_py.py", line 44, in _get_data_files
    self.analyze_manifest()
  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python/setuptools/command/build_py.py", line 92, in analyze_manifest
    self.run_command('egg_info')
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/cmd.py", line 326, in run_command
    self.distribution.run_command(command)

My Python path:

/Users/gimli/Work/LocalSystemGimli/troubleshooting/splinter_install
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.0-py2.7.egg
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/virtualenv-1.6.4-py2.7.egg
/Users/gimli/Work/LocalSystemGimli/troubleshooting/splinter_install
/opt/local/www
/opt/local/www/swage_block/libraries/django_tastypie
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python27.zip
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/plat-darwin
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/plat-mac
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/plat-mac/lib-scriptpackages
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-tk
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-old
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/MySQL_python-1.2.3-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/lxml-2.3-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/python_dateutil-1.5-py2.6.egg
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/python_digest-1.7-py2.6.egg
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/simplejson-2.1.6-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages
/Library/Python/2.6/site-packages/mimeparse-0.1.3-py2.6.egg-info
/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages
/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/Extras/lib/python

The pip.log has many, many, many warnings that "warning: manifest_maker: standard file '-c' not found".

setuptools.__version__ is 0.6c9, setuptools.distutils.__version__ is 2.7.2.

Strangely, the __file__ for the setuptools module is under the 2.6 installation directory, but that for setuptools.disutils is under the 2.7 installation.

I suspect the problem is some subtle error in my installation of 2.7 or some dependent module (the computer came with 2.6 installed) but I can't for the life of me figure the problem.

Answer 1

You need to install a separate version of either Distribute or setuptools (the two sources for the easy_install command) for your Python 2.7 installation. Each Python instance must have its own. The Apple-supplied system Pythons in 10.6 come with their own easy_install in /usr/bin and setuptools in their Apple-supplied packages. The Python 2.7 you installed does not automatically come with one. Notice in the traceback how you start with Python 2.7 and then pick up setuptools from 2.6. Do not mix Python versions on a PYTHONPATH!