[Tutor] pip stopped working gives error

[Mats Wichmann]

On 05/03/2018 01:10 PM, Jim wrote:
> I have python 3.6 installed in a virtual environment on Mint 18. Today I
> wanted to use pip and got this error when I tried to use it.
> 
>  (env36) jfb at jims-mint18 ~ $ pip help
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/bin/pip", line 7, in <module>
>     from pip import main
>   File
> "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/__init__.py", line
> 43, in <module>
>     from pip.utils import get_installed_distributions, get_prog
>   File
> "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/utils/__init__.py",
> line 23, in <module>
>     from pip.locations import (
>   File
> "/home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/locations.py", line
> 9, in <module>
>     from distutils import sysconfig
> ImportError: cannot import name 'sysconfig'
> 
> I searched for sysconfig and found this:
> 
> /home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/_vendor/distlib/_backport/__pycache__/sysconfig.cpython-36.pyc
> 
> /home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/_vendor/distlib/_backport/sysconfig.cfg
> 
> /home/jfb/EVs/env36/lib/python3.6/site-packages/pip/_vendor/distlib/_backport/sysconfig.py
> 
> 
> The results seem to be the same as when I searched a python 3.5 virtual
> environment I have setup.
> 
> It has worked in the past as I have installed pylint and pykeyboard with
> it. As I type this I just remembered Mint updated python 3.6 earlier today.
> 
> So now I suspect the update is involved. Has anyone else experienced
> this and know how to fix it?

I heard distutils may have been split out... see if you have a package
python3-distutils and if not installed, can you install it?