python module import problems

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python module import problems

I have a python module called HTMLTableParse. The directory containing the module is set in PYTHONPATH in ~/.MacOSX/environment.plist. It imports fine when I am running python from the command line or using IDLE.app. However, when I try to run a python module from a cron job, I get this error:

ImportError: No module named HTMLTableParse

So then I tried setting PYTHONPATH in my crontab. When I did that, it successfully imported HTMLTableParse, but failed on a standard python module:

File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/shelve. py", line 231, in open
return DbfilenameShelf(filename, flag, protocol, writeback, binary)
File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/shelve. py", line 212, in _init_
Shelf. _init_(self, anydbm.open(filename, flag), protocol, writeback, binary)
File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/anydbm. py", line 82, in open
mod = _import_(result)
File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/dbhash. py", line 5, in ?
import bsddb
File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.3/lib/python2.3/bsddb/ _init_.py", line 40, in ?
import _bsddb
ImportError: No module named _bsddb
Exception exceptions.AttributeError: "DbfilenameShelf instance has no attribute 'writeback'" in ignored

The bdssb module appears to be in /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5, so I added that path to PYTHONPATH in my crontab. Then I got:

File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/re.py", line 97, in ?
import sre_compile
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.5/lib/python2.5/sre_compile.py ", line 17, in ?
assert _sre.MAGIC == MAGIC, "SRE module mismatch"
AssertionError: SRE module mismatch

What's going on? What do I need to do to run a python script from cron?

Also, how do I format code in my posts in this forum? I've seen other users do it, but the user help file doesn't describe how to do it. I've settled for using ">", which doesn't look great.

Thanks in advance. I'm desperate to get this to work.

Mac Mini Intel Core Duo, Mac OS X (10.4.4)

Posted on Nov 10, 2007 5:32 PM

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Answer 1

Jun T.

Level 4

2,191 points

Nov 10, 2007 7:28 PM in response to capmac

I guess you are using Tiger.

Python2.3 is installed by Apple in /usr/bin/python, and it uses /System/Library/Frameforks/Python.framework/Version/2.3/ (and /Library/Python/2.3/).

If you have installed Python2.5 by yourself, it is usually installed as /usr/local/bin/python, and uses /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Version/2.5/.

I believe you have added /usr/local/bin to the front of PATH in your .bash_profile (or .bashrc or .zshrc or ...). So if you start python from your command line, /usr/local/bin/python (=Python2.5) is used.

But in your cron job, PATH does not include /usr/local/bin, and /usr/bin/python (Phthon2.3) is used.

If you want to use Python2.5 in your cron script, just set PATH in the script

PATH=/usr/local/bin:$PATH

or explicitly invoke /usr/local/bin/python.

how do I format code in my posts in this forum?

This is "undocumented" (why ?). You can use


your code here

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Answer 2

capmac Author

Level 1

0 points

Nov 10, 2007 8:39 PM in response to Jun T.

Thanks!

Actually, my PATH has not /usr/local/bin, but rather /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin. It must have been put there by the Python installer. When I add it to PATH in my crontab, my script runs fine.

Thanks again!


Thanks for this, too.

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