How to install gi module for anaconda python3?

Question

python3 is my local Anaconda version of python, while python3.4 is the system one. I can import gi module with python3.4 (probably because i installed it with sudo apt-get install python3-gi) but python3 doesn't see it:

$ python3 -c 'import gi' Traceback (most recent call last):   File "<string>", line 1, in <module> ImportError: No module named 'gi' $ python3.4 -c 'import gi'                                         $ python3 --version Python 3.5.1 :: Anaconda 4.0.0 (64-bit) $ python3.4 --version Python 3.4.3 $ which python3 /home/kossak/anaconda3/bin/python3 $ which python3.4 /usr/bin/python3.4 $ 

How should i install gi for Anaconda python? Or maybe i can somehow import sysem-wide modules?

My os:

System:    Kernel: 3.19.0-32-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 4.8.2) Desktop: Cinnamon 2.8.8 (Gtk 2.24.23) dm: mdm            Distro: Linux Mint 17.3 Rosa 

Answer 1

If you're using conda virtualenv for python-3, you can use

$ conda install -c conda-forge pygobject 

in your virtualenv

You can read more about this on: https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/pygobject

Answer 2

This is how you do it: (example for Linux Mint and python3)

First install gi module using your distro package manager. For Linux Mint it would be:

sudo apt-get install python3-gi 

Then run your distro python to check where the module is located:

$ /usr/bin/python3 Python 3.5.2 (default, Sep 10 2016, 08:21:44) [GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import gi >>> print(gi) <module 'gi' from '/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/__init__.py'> 

So in my case the module gi was installed to /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi. Assuming you have your anaconda installed in /home/kossak/anaconda3, create a link to gi module in the proper folder:

ln -s /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi /home/kossak/anaconda3/lib/python3.5/site-packages/ 

If you have conda virtual environment and want gi module to be available there, the path should be a bit different. Assuming the virtual env is called TEST:

ln -s /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi /home/kossak/anaconda3/envs/TEST/lib/python3.5/site-packages/ 

and it works:

$ python3 Python 3.5.2 |Anaconda custom (64-bit)| (default, Jul  2 2016, 17:53:06) [GCC 4.4.7 20120313 (Red Hat 4.4.7-1)] on linux Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information. >>> import gi >>>