Do not recommend pip install --prefix=<empty> hack, this breaks default pip command

[chhantyal]

Hi,

Please do not recommend pip install --prefix=<empty>

This works with --targetor --user option, but breaks normal/default pip operations.

pip install package won't work anymore. Tested on OSX. Because of this recommendation, people are getting weird errors like here Homebrew/legacy-homebrew#44836

That recommendation is also top recommendation on this answer http://stackoverflow.com/questions/24257803/distutilsoptionerror-must-supply-either-home-or-prefix-exec-prefix-not-both

But see the user comments on first answer.

[tdsmith]

It works except in virtualenvs, right?

[chhantyal]

Nope, it doesn't work with brew installed python which contains pip and setuptools

[tdsmith]

Both pip install --user --install-option="--prefix=" tweepy and pip install --user tweepy work fine for me as of this writing.

[tdsmith]

Can you elaborate on "doesn't work"?

[chhantyal]

Sorry I removed the brew python, thus can't do testing right now. I will update with details soon.
In my case, it was with ~/.pydistutils.cfg config file with prefix=

[chhantyal]

Ok, here is how to reproduce:

Add ~/.pydistutils.cfg with (as recommended in docs)

[install]
prefix=

Now run pip install requests

Collecting requests
  Using cached requests-2.11.1-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Installing collected packages: requests
Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/basecommand.py", line 215, in main
    status = self.run(options, args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/commands/install.py", line 317, in run
    prefix=options.prefix_path,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/req/req_set.py", line 742, in install
    **kwargs
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/req/req_install.py", line 831, in install
    self.move_wheel_files(self.source_dir, root=root, prefix=prefix)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/req/req_install.py", line 1032, in move_wheel_files
    isolated=self.isolated,
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 346, in move_wheel_files
    clobber(source, lib_dir, True)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/wheel.py", line 317, in clobber
    ensure_dir(destdir)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/utils/__init__.py", line 83, in ensure_dir
    os.makedirs(path)
  File "/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.12/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/os.py", line 157, in makedirs
    mkdir(name, mode)
OSError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/lib/python2.7/site-packages/requests'

[tdsmith]

Gotcha, thanks.

[MikeMcQuaid]

@tdsmith Thoughts on 🚢ing this?

[MikeMcQuaid]

@tdsmith ❓

[MikeMcQuaid]

Passing on this for now but @tdsmith feel free to apply any of this.

[chhantyal]

Hi, any reason this and related issue both are closed without it being resolved? Keeping them open would get attentions eventually?

[MikeMcQuaid]

@chhantyal There's been no activity or conversation on them so there's little point in leaving them open for now. @tdsmith may disagree.

[chhantyal]

If you keep issue open, may be maintainers and other contributors would try to fix whenever they are free. When you close, it's going to be hidden and people probably won't find.

Anyway, that's how I view Github issues. Obviously, everybody has different opinion.
Sorry for bugging you again.

[MikeMcQuaid]

No need to apologise, thanks @chhantyal.

[tdsmith]

Okay, I agree the pydistutils.cfg section doesn't work (pip got smarter!), but the command-line form still does.

[tdsmith]

Can you leave the text above this comment in place?

[chhantyal]

Alright. I rebased and put back command line option

[tdsmith]

Thanks!

[mminklet]

I don't understand what the resolution to the actual problem was. Looks like the recommendation is removed with no alternative. Trying suggested commandline options doesn't work
pip install --install-option="--prefix=" tweepy -t .

Same error. Removed Homebrew python + pip for now.

[chhantyal]

Yup, you are right. There is no alternative if you use homebrew python.