Install pyyaml using pip/Add PyYaml as pip dependency

Question

I want to use PyYaml in my pip project, but am having trouble using it as a dependency. Mainly the problem is thet PyYaml in pip is not a cross platform install.

How do I install pyyaml using pip so that it works. Note, on a current fresh Ubuntu install I get the following error when running pip install pyyaml

Installing collected packages: pyyaml
  Running setup.py install for pyyaml
    checking if libyaml is compilable
    gcc -pthread -DNDEBUG -g -fwrapv -O2 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -g -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -Wformat -Wformat-security -Werror=format-security -fPIC -I/usr/include/python3.2mu -c build/temp.linux-x86_64-3.2/check_libyaml.c -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-3.2/check_libyaml.o
    build/temp.linux-x86_64-3.2/check_libyaml.c:2:18: fatal error: yaml.h: No such file or directory
    compilation terminated.

    libyaml is not found or a compiler error: forcing --without-libyaml
    (if libyaml is installed correctly, you may need to
     specify the option --include-dirs or uncomment and
     modify the parameter include_dirs in setup.cfg)

Successfully installed pyyaml

Note that the error says "successfully installed" but it is not. I can not import yaml

I am not looking for answers that say "use apt-get" due to my very first sentence. I need the install to be cross platform and work as a pip dependency I am not simply wondering on how to install it correctly.

If this is not possible, is there any library I can use in replacement?

Answer 1

You will need some extra packages to build it.

First of all you need to uninstall pyyaml, or it will complain later that it is already installed

pip uninstall pyyaml

Then install the following packages:

sudo apt-get install libyaml-dev libpython2.7-dev

Finally install it again

pip install pyyaml