pip install mysql-python fails with EnvironmentError: mysql_config not found

Question

This is the error I get

(mysite)zjm1126@zjm1126-G41MT-S2:~/zjm_test/mysite$ pip install mysql-python
Downloading/unpacking mysql-python
  Downloading MySQL-python-1.2.3.tar.gz (70Kb): 70Kb downloaded
  Running setup.py egg_info for package mysql-python
    sh: mysql_config: not found
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 14, in <module>
      File "/home/zjm1126/zjm_test/mysite/build/mysql-python/setup.py", line 15, in <module>
        metadata, options = get_config()
      File "setup_posix.py", line 43, in get_config
        libs = mysql_config("libs_r")
      File "setup_posix.py", line 24, in mysql_config
        raise EnvironmentError("%s not found" % (mysql_config.path,))
    EnvironmentError: mysql_config not found
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    sh: mysql_config: not found

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "<string>", line 14, in <module>

  File "/home/zjm1126/zjm_test/mysite/build/mysql-python/setup.py", line 15, in <module>

    metadata, options = get_config()

  File "setup_posix.py", line 43, in get_config

    libs = mysql_config("libs_r")

  File "setup_posix.py", line 24, in mysql_config

    raise EnvironmentError("%s not found" % (mysql_config.path,))

EnvironmentError: mysql_config not found

----------------------------------------
Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1
Storing complete log in /home/zjm1126/.pip/pip.log
(mysite)zjm1126@zjm1126-G41MT-S2:~/zjm_test/mysite$ pip install mysql-python
Downloading/unpacking mysql-python
  Running setup.py egg_info for package mysql-python
    sh: mysql_config: not found
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 14, in <module>
      File "/home/zjm1126/zjm_test/mysite/build/mysql-python/setup.py", line 15, in <module>
        metadata, options = get_config()
      File "setup_posix.py", line 43, in get_config
        libs = mysql_config("libs_r")
      File "setup_posix.py", line 24, in mysql_config
        raise EnvironmentError("%s not found" % (mysql_config.path,))
    EnvironmentError: mysql_config not found
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    sh: mysql_config: not found

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "<string>", line 14, in <module>

  File "/home/zjm1126/zjm_test/mysite/build/mysql-python/setup.py", line 15, in <module>

    metadata, options = get_config()

  File "setup_posix.py", line 43, in get_config

    libs = mysql_config("libs_r")

  File "setup_posix.py", line 24, in mysql_config

    raise EnvironmentError("%s not found" % (mysql_config.path,))

EnvironmentError: mysql_config not found

----------------------------------------
Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1
Storing complete log in /home/zjm1126/.pip/pip.log

What can I do to resolve this?

Answer 1

It seems mysql_config is missing on your system or the installer could not find it. Be sure mysql_config is really installed.

For example on Debian/Ubuntu you must install the package:

sudo apt-get install libmysqlclient-dev

Maybe the mysql_config is not in your path, it will be the case when you compile by yourself the mysql suite.

Update: For recent versions of debian/ubuntu (as of 2018) it is

sudo apt install default-libmysqlclient-dev

Answer 2

In Mac OS, I simply ran this in terminal to fix:

export PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/mysql/bin

This is the quickest fix I found - it adds it to the path, but I think you're better off adding it permanently (ie add it to /etc/paths) if you plan to install MySQL-python in another environment.

(tested in OSX Mountain Lion)