ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'apt_pkg' error

Question

I run below command on ubuntu 16.4 :

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:noobslab/apps

of below question:

How to install PlayOnLinux on Ubuntu 16.04

and get below error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/add-apt-repository", line 11, in <module>
    from softwareproperties.SoftwareProperties import SoftwareProperties, shortcut_handler
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 27, in <module>
    import apt_pkg
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'apt_pkg'
Error in sys.excepthook:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 63, in apport_excepthook
    from apport.fileutils import likely_packaged, get_recent_crashes
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/__init__.py", line 5, in <module>
    from apport.report import Report
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/report.py", line 30, in <module>
    import apport.fileutils
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/fileutils.py", line 23, in <module>
    from apport.packaging_impl import impl as packaging
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/packaging_impl.py", line 23, in <module>
    import apt
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt/__init__.py", line 23, in <module>
    import apt_pkg
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'apt_pkg'

Original exception was:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/add-apt-repository", line 11, in <module>
    from softwareproperties.SoftwareProperties import SoftwareProperties, shortcut_handler
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 27, in <module>
    import apt_pkg
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'apt_pkg'

Thanks for help

Try reinstalling the python3-software-properties package. It provides the missing module. — user535733, Aug 26 '18 at 12:59
If you don't know how to reinstall a package, then you may not be prepared to manage PPAs yet, so make sure you maintain good backups of your data. Open a terminal: sudo apt install --reinstall <package name> — user535733, Aug 26 '18 at 13:02
Thanks . i run sudo apt install --reinstall python3-software-properties but Still the problem persists — Mostafa Norzade, Aug 26 '18 at 13:07
Try to reinstall two other packages: sudo apt-get install --reinstall python-apt python3-apt. — N0rbert, Aug 26 '18 at 14:11
@N0rbert .Thanks . but I run this but still the problem persists — Mostafa Norzade, Aug 26 '18 at 15:42
Please add output of which python and which python3 to the question. — N0rbert, Aug 26 '18 at 16:15
@N0rbert . which python : /usr/bin/python . which python3 : /usr/bin/python3 — Mostafa Norzade, Aug 26 '18 at 16:56
After bit of search i found it to be problem is system is trying to find apt_pkg file for latest version of python than finding current version. So, renaming the concerned file seems a work-around. Details are given in https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13708180/python-dev-installation-error-importerror-no-module-named-apt-pkg — shantanu pathak, Nov 24 '18 at 13:05
I found this answer and worked for me: https://stackoverflow.com/a/44612200/1038565 — Beto Aveiga, Feb 02 '19 at 05:22

score 76 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 24 '22 at 12:04

76

Its very late but could be helpful for others.

> cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
> sudo cp apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

edited Jan 24 '22 at 12:04

Gulzar

210

answered Jun 28 '19 at 09:31

saranjeet singh

876
7
7

26

I adapted this answer to use a symlink instead and this seemed to work too: ln -s /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.so – Gibbsoft Jul 29 '19 at 14:05

score 22 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 28 '18 at 10:50

22

There was a similar question on 2014 (Problem with update-manager: No module named 'apt_pkg' in Ubuntu 13.10, having installed Python 3.4 on /usr/local/lib). The solution worked for me.

sudo apt-get remove python3-apt
sudo apt-get install python3-apt

answered Aug 28 '18 at 10:50

Felix Schiegg

237

3

Thanks . now I have bleow error : sudo: add-apt-repository: command not found – Mostafa Norzade Aug 28 '18 at 12:02
I am having the exactly same issue. Any fix? – David Simic Nov 14 '18 at 23:46
1

Please do a sudo apt install software-properties-common after that, to get rid of the sudo: add-apt-repository: command not found error. – WaughWaugh Aug 12 '19 at 07:54
12

Removing python3-apt is fairly dangerous since it already removes import packages like ubuntu-desktop and xorg. – David Medinets Oct 20 '19 at 03:24
4

PLS heed the warning about the dangers of removing python3-apt. – user6273920 Nov 24 '19 at 03:51
1

@DavidMedinets what should I do if I'm such a dumbass and did that? :facepalm: – M. Volf Dec 31 '19 at 18:01
If you end up with sudo do-release-upgrade sudo: do-release-upgrade: command not found then it can be reinstalled with sudo apt install ubuntu-release-upgrader-core – Edward Moffett Aug 13 '20 at 18:26
we need to vote down this answer. I just messed up my system by following that advice! – mystery_doctor May 26 '23 at 20:25

score 20 · Answer 3 · edited Sep 14 '23 at 14:25

20

If you updated with a NEW python (e.g. dist had 3.5 but you installed 3.7), then your /usr/bin/python3 points to a python that does not have apt_pkg.

edit /usr/bin/add-apt-repository where it says

#! /usr/bin/python3

to point to

#! /usr/bin/python3.5

(insert your distro python version, 3.5 for 16.04 or 3.6 for 18.04)

edited Sep 14 '23 at 14:25

wjandrea

14,236
4
48
98

answered Nov 24 '19 at 03:50

user6273920

301

Checking the original python version for my Ubuntu version was key for me. – hrrrrrr5602 Jan 27 '22 at 15:47
I wouldn't recommend this; instead revert /usr/bin/python3 to what it was before. I'm pretty sure other system scripts use /usr/bin/python3 and apt_pkg, so this is only a bandage fix. – wjandrea Sep 14 '23 at 14:26

karel · Answer 4 · 2020-02-01T17:51:00.623

8

Create a symbolic link at apt_pkg.so which references to file apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so.

cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

edited Feb 01 '20 at 17:51

answered Feb 01 '20 at 17:12

karel

114,770

score 4 · Answer 5 · edited Sep 14 '23 at 14:28

4

This is the solution that worked for me for the latest apt_pkg_cpython package on Ubuntu 18.04:

cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/
sudo cp apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so
sudo apt-get update

edited Sep 14 '23 at 14:28

wjandrea

14,236
4
48
98

answered Jan 29 '21 at 09:05

loretoparisi

151

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 26 '20 at 16:06

3

The only thing that worked for me was to uninstall python 3.5 and then install the apt tools again:

sudo apt remove python3.5*
sudo apt install python3-apt
sudo apt install software-properties-common

answered Jul 26 '20 at 16:06

Matan Dobrushin

31
2

score 2 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 26 '20 at 08:11

The following worked for me. Firstly check the target apt_pkg library:

ls -l /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg*

it should return the following:

/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so

where 35 stands for the python version. Set this version as default for python3:

sudo update-alternatives --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.5

score 2 · Answer 8 · edited Apr 18 '22 at 02:01

2

To solve this remove the alternatives

sudo update-alternatives --remove-all python3

Then

sudo ln -sf /usr/bin/python3.6 /usr/bin/python3

edited Apr 18 '22 at 02:01

wjandrea

14,236
4
48
98

answered Nov 25 '20 at 19:27

sree

101

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'apt_pkg' error

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