[Distutils] Unable to import python script after installing using easy_install

[Phillip J. Eby]

At 03:03 PM 1/9/2009 -0600, ray terrill wrote:
>I'm using python2.4 to try to package and deliver a custom python 
>script.  I'm unable to import the package.
>
>My setup.py looks like the following:
>from setuptools import setup, find_packages
>setup(
>    name = "randomscript",
>    version = "1.0",
>    packages = find_packages(),
>)
>
>I'm building the package using the following:
>python setup.py bdist_egg
>running bdist_egg
>running egg_info
>writing randomscript.egg-info/PKG-INFO
>writing top-level names to randomscript.egg-info/top_level.txt
>writing dependency_links to randomscript.egg-info/dependency_links.txt
>reading manifest file 'randomscript.egg-info/SOURCES.txt'
>writing manifest file 'randomscript.egg-info/SOURCES.txt'
>installing library code to build/bdist.linux-i686/egg
>running install_lib
>warning: install_lib: 'build/lib' does not exist -- no Python 
>modules to install

The above is an indication that your source code isn't being 
found.  My guess is that since you're saying you want to install a 
"script" but can't import it, what you actually have is a standalone 
*module*, not a script or a package.  find_packages() cannot find 
such modules, you must list them individually, e.g.:

    py_modules = ['randomscript'],

rather than listing them in the 'packages' parameter.

By the way, if you plan to distribute your module via PyPI, it is 
recommended that you use 'sdist' to build a source distribution in 
addition to (or instead of) an .egg file.  .egg files are a very 
specialized distribution format intended for things like application 
plugins and site-local distribution (e.g., administrators making 
binary packages available across a campus or company network, 
etc.)  That is, they're more aimed at end-user distribution use 
cases, than at programmer or "open source" distribution use 
cases.  Or as I sometimes say, they're more of a "deployment" format 
than a "distribution" format.