configure returned code 256 - python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip_build_root/lxml

Question

Trying to build lxml on Python3.4: system does have libxml2 and libxslt.

pip build cannot ascertain MULTICORE(?), among other things(?)

Relevant versions downloaded:

• lxml-3.4.1
• libiconv-1.14
• libxml2-2.9.2
• libxslt-1.1.28

First, try standard build (dynamic):

$ CFLAGS="-O0" pip3 install lxml

builds without error, but:

Python 3.4.2 (default, Dec 13 2014, 16:48:48) 
[GCC 4.8.3] on sunos5
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> from lxml import etree
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: ld.so.1: isapython3.4: fatal: relocation error: file /usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/lxml/etree.cpython-34m.so: symbol __xmlStructuredErrorContext: referenced symbol not found

Symbol IS present, however:

$ nm /usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/lxml/etree.cpython-34m.so | grep __xmlStructuredErrorContext
         U __xmlStructuredErrorContext

But is 'local' in the underlying libxml2:

# nm /usr/lib/libxml2.so.2 | grep __xmlStructuredErrorContext
000d69d0 t __xmlStructuredErrorContext

OK, try to build STATIC, as is recommended:

$ STATIC_DEPS=true CFLAGS="-O0" pip3 install lxml

...

**Exception: Command "make -j6" returned code 256**

Building lxml version 3.4.1.

Latest version of libiconv is 1.14
Latest version of libxml2 is 2.9.2
Latest version of libxslt is 1.1.28
...

Starting build in build/tmp/libiconv-1.14

---------------------------------------- 
Cleaning up...   Removing temporary dir /tmp/pip_build_root... 

Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip_build_root/lxml 

Exception information: 
 Traceback (most recent call last):
   File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/pip/basecommand.py", line 122, in main
     status = self.run(options, args)   File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/pip/commands/install.py", line 278, in run
     requirement_set.prepare_files(finder, force_root_egg_info=self.bundle, bundle=self.bundle)
   File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/pip/req.py", line 1229, in prepare_files
     req_to_install.run_egg_info()   File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/pip/req.py", line 325, in run_egg_info command_desc='python setup.py egg_info')
   File "/usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/pip/util.py", line 697, in call_subprocess
     % (command_desc, proc.returncode, cwd)) 
pip.exceptions.InstallationError: Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip_build_root/lxml

More extensive log: http://pastebin.com/P6T246QC

Answer 1

My attention was caught by this error:

**Exception: Command "make -j6" returned code 256**

Try to change your install command to this:

STATIC_DEPS=true CFLAGS="-O0" pip3 install lxml --install-option="--multicore=1"

Altough this is an old question, I hope it may help somebody.