Fatal Python error: init_import_size: Failed to import the site module
By Jessica Wood •
Problem
I am running Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. I have both Python 3.8 and Python 3.9 installed, although Python 3.8 is broken.
When I type the command python3.8 into my terminal I get the following:
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# python3.8
Fatal Python error: init_import_size: Failed to import the site module
Python runtime state: initialized
Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/lib/python3.9/site.py", line 79, in <module> import os File "/usr/lib/python3.9/os.py", line 29, in <module> from _collections_abc import _check_methods File "/usr/lib/python3.9/_collections_abc.py", line 12, in <module> GenericAlias = type(list[int])
TypeError: 'type' object is not subscriptableThat to me looks like python3.8 is digging around in /usr/lib/python3.9, which is python3.9's library.
Here is the output of a few commands:
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# which python3.8
/usr/local/bin/python3.8
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# which python3
/usr/bin/python3
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# /usr/bin/python3 --version
Python 3.9.5
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# python3
Python 3.9.5 (default, Nov 23 2021, 15:27:38)
[GCC 9.3.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> Python 3.9 works just fine, but Python 3.8 obviously does not work. I want Python 3.8 to work because I want to install landscape-common and various other packages which rely on it. This is what happens when I try to install landscape-common:
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# apt install landscape-common
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
The following additional packages will be installed: bc distro-info-data iso-codes libpython3-stdlib lsb-release python-apt-common python3 python3-apt python3-attr python3-automat python3-cffi-backend python3-click python3-colorama python3-configobj python3-constantly python3-cryptography python3-gdbm python3-hamcrest python3-hyperlink python3-idna python3-incremental python3-netifaces python3-openssl python3-pkg-resources python3-pyasn1 python3-pyasn1-modules python3-service-identity python3-six python3-twisted python3-twisted-bin python3-zope.interface python3.8
Suggested packages: isoquery python3-doc python3-tk python3-venv python3-apt-dbg python-apt-doc python-attr-doc python-configobj-doc python-cryptography-doc python3-cryptography-vectors python3-gdbm-dbg python-openssl-doc python3-openssl-dbg python3-setuptools python3-pampy python3-qt4 python3-serial python3-wxgtk2.8 python3-twisted-bin-dbg python3.8-venv python3.8-doc
The following NEW packages will be installed: bc distro-info-data iso-codes landscape-common libpython3-stdlib lsb-release python-apt-common python3 python3-apt python3-attr python3-automat python3-cffi-backend python3-click python3-colorama python3-configobj python3-constantly python3-cryptography python3-gdbm python3-hamcrest python3-hyperlink python3-idna python3-incremental python3-netifaces python3-openssl python3-pkg-resources python3-pyasn1 python3-pyasn1-modules python3-service-identity python3-six python3-twisted python3-twisted-bin python3-zope.interface python3.8
0 upgraded, 33 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
1 not fully installed or removed.
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Extracting templates from packages: 100%
Preconfiguring packages ...
Selecting previously unselected package python3.8.
(Reading database ... 123547 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack .../python3.8_3.8.10-0ubuntu1~20.04.2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking python3.8 (3.8.10-0ubuntu1~20.04.2) ...
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Preparing to unpack .../libpython3-stdlib_3.8.2-0ubuntu2_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking libpython3-stdlib:amd64 (3.8.2-0ubuntu2) ...
Setting up python3-minimal (3.8.2-0ubuntu2) ...
/var/lib/dpkg/info/python3-minimal.postinst: 5: py3compile: not found
dpkg: error processing package python3-minimal (--configure): installed python3-minimal package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 127
Errors were encountered while processing: python3-minimal
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)I installed Python 3.8.0 from .
Here is the result of compgen -c python:
root@ubuntu-3pl:~# compgen -c python
python3.8-config
python3.8
python2
python3.9
python2.7
python3.9-config
python3
python
python2
python3.9
python2.7
python3.9-config
python3
pythonQuestion
How can I either:
- Uninstall all traces of Python 3.8 and successfully reinstall it?
- Fix it so that it runs?
- Install
landscape-commonusing Python 3.9?
Any help/advice is very welcome! I am happy to try anything aside from reinstalling the OS.
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