pip install PyQt IOError

Question

I'm trying to install PyQt package with pip, but I get this error:

~$ pip install PyQt

Downloading/unpacking PyQt  
Downloading PyQt-x11-gpl-4.8.3.tar.gz
(9.8Mb): 9.8Mb downloaded   Running
setup.py egg_info for package PyQt
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 14, in <module>
    IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory:
'/home/john/build/PyQt/setup.py'
    Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
    Traceback (most recent call last):

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

IOError: [Errno 2] No such file or
directory:
'/home/john/build/PyQt/setup.py

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

Answer 1

That's because that file has a configure.py not a setup.py. configure.py generate a make file that you use to build pyqt against the qt lib you choose by passing --qmake option to configure.py, it has different options too. I suggest filing a bug with the pip maintainer.

Answer 2

If you're on Mac, you can use homebrew:

brew install pyqt

Answer 3

You can, alternatively, install PyQt4 using ActivePython's binary package manager.

$ pypm install pyqt4
The following packages will be installed into "~/.local" (2.7):
 pyqt4-4.8.3.0
Hit: [pypm-free.activestate.com] pyqt4 4.8.3.0
Installing pyqt4-4.8.3.0
$

So long as you already have PyPM, no compilation required.