no module named pkg_resources.py2_warn pyinstaller

Question

I'm trying to make an executable file (.exe file for windows) for the code here. The main file to run is src/GUI.py. I found that pyinstaller is a better option to create the exe file.

I tried both one folder and single executable file options. I tried creating the exe from root directory and as well as in src directory.

pyinstaller src/GUI.py
pyinstaller src/GUI.py -F
cd src
pyinstaller GUI.py
pyinstaller GUI.py -F

GUI.exe gets created with all the above methods. But whenever I tried to run the GUI.exe file, I get the error no module named pkg_resources.py2_warn pyinstaller. I tried running GUI.exe in the dist directory where it is created, in the root directory and in the src directory as well. Everywhere, I get the same error. How can I fix this?

PS: Ideally I would like to have a single .exe file which I can distribute and they can run it standalone, without any need to install dependencies or recreating the folder structure. But I got to know that pyinstaller only packages the code files and I've to share the images separately and when running the exe file, the same structure has to be recreated. I'm okay with this as well. I'm even okay to share the one folder exe as well. I just want to share a file or a folder, which users can run without installing any dependencies. Is it possible at all?

PPS: I'm open to using tools other than pyinstaller as well.

Answer 1

As of 7/16/2020, upgrading setuptools now resolves this error. Downgrading setuptools like the other answers prescribe is not necessary anymore. See this discussion

On Win10, upgrade with

pip3 install setuptools --upgrade

However as Vikramaditya said, downgrading below ver 45.0.0 works too.

Answer 2

This is an issue with setuptools as explained in this github ticket. Consider downgrading your setuptools to 44.0 or below with the command

pip install --upgrade 'setuptools<45.0.0'

Answer 3

Use PyInstaller --hidden-import=pkg_resources.py2_warn my_script.py to fix this. Same applies to most ModuleNotFoundErrors.

That hidden module was added in setuptools version 45.0.0 and removed in 49.0.0 so either downgrading below or upgrading above will also fix it.

Please do not fix this by putting import pkg_resources.py2_warn at the top of your code as others have done as this will obviously break if you change your setuptools version to be outside the above range.

This issue will be fixed permanently in version 4.0 of PyInstaller once we eventually get round to releasing it.

Answer 4

Uninstall setuptools before you downgrade tips: Some functions may be affected