Error Code 1 when trying to "pip install psycopg2" in Max OSX Yosemite

Question

I am trying to use postgresql in my Django project so I have been trying to install psycopg2 however I keep running into problems. Since I am using a virtualenv, installing psycopg2 through macports isn't helping. I need to find someway to install it as an app within my virtual env.

Here is the error I get when I try to pip install it in my virtualenv:

Downloading/unpacking psycopg2
Downloading psycopg2-2.5.4.tar.gz (682kB): 682kB downloaded
Running setup.py     (path:/Users/adfelix2/Documents/Hindsait_Work/Projects/nybc_pilot/build/psycopg2/setup.py) egg_info for package psycopg2

    Error: pg_config executable not found.

    Please add the directory containing pg_config to the PATH
    or specify the full executable path with the option:

    python setup.py build_ext --pg-config /path/to/pg_config build ...

    or with the pg_config option in 'setup.cfg'.
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    running egg_info

creating pip-egg-info/psycopg2.egg-info

writing pip-egg-info/psycopg2.egg-info/PKG-INFO

writing top-level names to pip-egg-info/psycopg2.egg-info/top_level.txt

writing dependency_links to pip-egg-info/psycopg2.egg-info/dependency_links.txt

writing manifest file 'pip-egg-info/psycopg2.egg-info/SOURCES.txt'

warning: manifest_maker: standard file '-c' not found



Error: pg_config executable not found.



Please add the directory containing pg_config to the PATH

or specify the full executable path with the option:



    python setup.py build_ext --pg-config /path/to/pg_config build ...



or with the pg_config option in 'setup.cfg'.

----------------------------------------
Cleaning up...
Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in         /Users/user/'privateinfo'/my_virtualenv/build/psycopg2
Storing debug log for failure in /Users/user/.pip/pip.log

Seems like I need to add a directory to pg_config? However I am unable to come across anything online that would help me do so. If anybody has an answer to this, in a step-by-step manner, it would be very gladly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer 1

If you run error like this then you need install two packages.

    sudo apt-get install libpq-dev python-dev

now install psycopg2

    pip install psycopg2

Answer 2

If you have installed the Postgres.app, the one that sits in the Mac's menu bar, you will have to point your path at the pg_config executable in the App's bundle. You can navigate to the executable by visiting

/Applications/Postgres.app/Contents/Versions/9.3/bin

where your version would depend on what you have installed. Add this to to your $PATH variable in your .bash_profile, reload it, and voila!