Problem with update-manager: No module named 'apt_pkg' in Ubuntu 13.10, having installed Python 3.4 on /usr/local/lib

Question

I'm rather new to Ubuntu and I'm trying to run update-manager on Ubuntu 13.10. I get:

jacopo@jacopo-laptop:~$ update-manager 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/update-manager", line 28, in <module>
    from gi.repository import Gtk
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/__init__.py", line 27, in <module> from ._gi import _API
ImportError: No module named 'gi._gi'
Error in sys.excepthook:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 64, 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 20, in <module>
import apt
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt/__init__.py", line 21, in <module>
import apt_pkg
ImportError: No module named 'apt_pkg'

Original exception was:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/update-manager", line 28, in <module>
from gi.repository import Gtk
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/__init__.py", line 27, in <module>
from ._gi import _API
ImportError: No module named 'gi._gi'

As far as I have understood, this is a problem related to the fact that I should have python3.4 installed. I installed it in /usr/local/lib, but I always get the same error. In this way I can't even upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04.

score 69 · Answer 1 · edited Aug 17 '19 at 14:18

69

Reinstall apt_pkg using:

sudo apt-get install --reinstall python3-apt

The error is primarily because of library apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so not being present in /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages.

Removing and reinstalling should help.

edited Aug 17 '19 at 14:18

Eliah Kagan

117,780

answered Aug 08 '18 at 07:21

vikas kapdoskar

823

22

It's almost always preferable to reinstall the package in one step using sudo apt install --reinstall <package-name>, because this avoids calculating and removing dependencies (and marking packages for removal). Be aware that removing packages is not always a reversible procedure; for example APT will remove itself or its dependencies if asked to! The --reinstall flag is therefore much safer than remove followed by install. The remove command by itself does not remove configuration files of a package so has no benefit over install --reinstall. – Zanna Aug 08 '18 at 07:58
6

This answer should be updated with the suggestion by @Zanna, removing python3-apt will remove a ton of dependencies and may scare the crap out of someone, not to mention messing up their system. – alkanen Aug 01 '19 at 08:08
So uninstall apt-package with sudo dpkg -r --force-depends apt-package instead which uninstalls only apt-package but not any of its dependencies. – karel Aug 01 '19 at 12:15
13

i had to use sudo apt remove --purge python3-apt then sudo apt install python3-apt, the weird thing is that after reinstalling, 78 really unrelated(well I don't really know) packages were marked as no longer needed and can be autoremove.. I'm kind of concerned but at least it fixed my problem haha – Kenivia Apr 08 '20 at 23:54
1

@Kenivia I tried that command and aborted immmediately - it was about to remove half of my desktop. I guess that's why you also had so many no longer needed packages. – xeruf May 23 '20 at 09:50
I have /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so but am getting that error - the reinstall changes nothing. – xeruf May 23 '20 at 09:54
@Xerus in my case I have the error and the package in the right place: ls /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.* /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so – loretoparisi Jan 29 '21 at 09:03
This didn't resolve the issue. – Owl Feb 08 '24 at 10:00

score 48 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 29 '19 at 11:06

48

update-alternatives  --set python3  /usr/bin/python3.6

edited Apr 29 '19 at 11:06

Kulfy

17,696

answered Apr 29 '19 at 10:34

v12aml

591
4
3

6

Updating alternatives for python might sometimes break things. – Kulfy Apr 29 '19 at 11:06
2

I used update-alternatives --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.5 and it worked. python3 was already pointing to python3.6 on my system. – Desik Jun 26 '19 at 20:06
This is exactly what worked for me. I had just followed a guide on how to update Python 3 in Ubuntu 18.04 and my apt-get no longer worked. No idea that would happen. – fIwJlxSzApHEZIl Feb 05 '20 at 19:36
It worked, just use sudo. – ahmed galal Feb 18 '21 at 16:15
I want to use Python 3.9 as my default though – Heath Mitchell Aug 13 '21 at 20:09
3

update-alternatives --set python3 /usr/bin/python3.8 solved my problem on Ubuntu 20.04 – umitu Jun 09 '22 at 08:24

score 35 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 16 '20 at 11:55

35

The following solution worked for me:

cd  /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
ls -la /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
sudo cp apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

If you get an error message saying too many levels of symbolic links as shown below:

cp: failed to access '/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.so': Too many levels of symbolic links

Then you need to simply unlink the apt_pkg.so file. Use the following command:

sudo unlink apt_pkg.so

And then use the command

sudo cp apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

Hope this helps!

answered Apr 16 '20 at 11:55

yksolanki9

450

7

Thanks, this helped. Instead of doing a cp, I used ln -s instead. So sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so. – erwaman May 21 '20 at 19:43
Thanks. Worked for me. – Thang Nguyen Jan 21 '21 at 07:39
Thanks. sudo cp apt_pkg.cpython-34m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so worked for me – Astrid A. Olave H. Jan 27 '21 at 04:59

score 28 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 01 '19 at 13:55

28

for me the following steps worked:

cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-{35m,34m}-x86_64-linux-gnu.so

the original solution is here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/13708180/python-dev-installation-error-importerror-no-module-named-apt-pkg/36232975#36232975

answered Mar 01 '19 at 13:55

Olimjon Ibragimov

381
3
3

4

As mentioned in a comment over at the "original solution," for me this worked: sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-{35m,36m}-x86_64-linux-gnu.so. The 35 (python 3.5) version is what's installed regardless of the particular sub-version of python 3.x that you're running. Thanks! – fred271828 May 23 '19 at 20:26
1

I think this worked for me when I upgraded to either Python 3.6 or 3.7, but now I have Python 3.8 and the expected file name seems to have changed to just apt_pkg.so. See https://askubuntu.com/a/1154616/725987 – Dave Yarwood Mar 30 '20 at 20:29

score 26 · Answer 5 · edited Aug 16 '23 at 07:44

26

For me this did the trick:

sudo apt install --reinstall python3-apt

This problem actually is similar to this one: apt-get broken: No module named debian.deb822

edited Aug 16 '23 at 07:44

mchid

43,546
8
97
150

answered Jan 12 '21 at 14:49

amagard

361

7

it removed half my system software on zorin OS, and installing doesn't get them back – DaniyalAhmadSE Jul 19 '21 at 20:30
This solve the issue, I've replaced the default python/pip 3.8 with python/pip 3.7, and end up by damaging the default pip causing this error on ubuntu 20. – Ibrahim.H Oct 25 '21 at 13:17
3

dangerous and stupid. Do not do this. Tons of system software relies on python3-apt including apt itself. You won't be able to re-install again because the apt command will error. – Rugnir Oct 28 '22 at 12:26
1

Used this on Plesk and now nothing works – Atif Bashir Jan 30 '23 at 13:04
I changed this to reinstall rather than remove install so that it doesn't remove anything (including dependencies), it simply reinstalls the package safely. – mchid Aug 16 '23 at 07:45

score 8 · Answer 6 · answered Mar 30 '20 at 20:39

This solution used to work for me after I had upgrade to either Python 3.6 or 3.7 and add-apt-repository stopped working:

cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
# where 35m is the file you have and 38m corresponds to your Python version
sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-{35m,38m}-x86_64-linux-gnu.so

Now I have Python 3.8 and add-apt-repository stopped working again. I found another, related SO question, with this answer that worked for me. It appears that the expected filename is now just apt_pkg.so, so you have to do this:

cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
# where 35m is the file you have
sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

The fact that the new expected filename is just apt_pkg.so is promising. Hopefully it means we won't have to keep doing this dance every time there's a new minor version of Python!

@dave-yarwood saved my day. "new expected filename is just apt_pkg.so" — gue22, Oct 19 '23 at 06:22

score 5 · Answer 7 · answered Oct 20 '19 at 12:57

5

The problem for me was that I installed python3.7 next to python3.6 and made it the default.

I manually run the following command:

ln -s /usr/bin/python3.6  /usr/bin/python3

so python3 now points to the correct version of python ... that solves the issue.

answered Oct 20 '19 at 12:57

M.Hefny

189

1

I'm also facing the issue because I updated to python3.7 in Ubuntu 18. But when I do what you did (create symbolic link), I got ln: failed to create symbolic link '/usr/bin/python3': File exists. If I do ls in my /usr/bin/python*, I have python3, python3.6, python3.6m, python3.7, python3.7m and python3m. If I do sudo update-alternatives --config python3, I have *0 /usr/bin/python3.7 2 auto mode, 1 /usr/bin/python3.6 1 manual mode and 2 /usr/bin/python3.7 2 manual mode. Thank you. – user1330974 Oct 23 '19 at 02:35
may be you need to delete a link file already exist or rename it to .old and create your own link. – M.Hefny Oct 23 '19 at 12:47
@user1330974 did you finally solve the problem ? I'm facing the same issue – dallonsi Nov 20 '19 at 09:57
2

@user1330974 apparently, just forcing the symbolic link worked: ln -sf /usr/bin/python3.6 /usr/bin/python3 – dallonsi Nov 20 '19 at 10:07
1

@dallonsi Thank you. I didn't look into it further, but I'll be using your approach. :) – user1330974 Nov 21 '19 at 12:41
1

you should prefer update-alternatives, which will do this in a safer way – xeruf May 23 '20 at 09:55
when update-alternatives fails with error: no alternatives for python3 this the way to go. Worked for me with python3.5 since I was upgrading Ubuntu 16.04. – Xvolks Oct 13 '21 at 09:38

score 5 · Answer 8 · answered Jun 09 '14 at 14:14

5

If you're trying to upgrade 13.10 to 14.04, try following these instructions. If you're just trying to update your current system from the command line, open a terminal and type the following:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

answered Jun 09 '14 at 14:14

Charles Green

21,339

Thanks. I had already tried but it didn't work. I tried once more now, getting, after apt-get update, the warning W: Failed to fetch bzip2:/var/lib/apt/lists/partial/it.archive.ubuntu.com_ubuntu_dists_saucy-updates_main_source_Sources Hash Sum mismatch – user291925 Jun 09 '14 at 14:22
K - you have a problem with the update sources. I've seen several threads about how to fix that The following link seems to be a good match for your question http://askubuntu.com/questions/41605/trouble-downloading-updates-due-to-a-hash-sum-mismatch-error – Charles Green Jun 09 '14 at 14:28
Thanks! I tried, but I still get the same error when running update-manager – user291925 Jun 09 '14 at 15:12
K - that about exhausts my possibilities with out a more extensive web search. Good luck! – Charles Green Jun 09 '14 at 15:22

score 2 · Answer 9 · answered Apr 06 '21 at 06:33

2

For me below was worth full

    mansoor@LDEVOPS-MANSOOR:~/Documents/clients/HR/DevopsSimulator$  cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
mansoor@LDEVOPS-MANSOOR:/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages$ sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

answered Apr 06 '21 at 06:33

Mansur Ul Hasan

301

If I copied the file instead of creating a symlink, do you think that would interfere with update-alternatives, or maybe cause some other headaches for me down the road? – DeadlyChambers May 05 '22 at 02:51

stann1 · Answer 10 · 2021-06-04T12:00:18.060

I had the same issue after upgrading to python 3.9, and recreating the symlink '/usr/bin/python3' to point to the new location.

The only solution that worked for me, was that from a comment on the first answer, from @Kenivia: sudo apt remove --purge python3-apt then sudo apt install python3-apt

This solved the error but uninstalled my ubuntu Software Center. But it was not a big deal, because I just reinstalled it with sudo apt install ubuntu-software and now everything seems to be working just fine

EDIT: some issue still persisted after this (update-manger kept giving errors and wouldn't start). So I had to go back and revert the symlink /usr/bin/python3 to point to the original python3.6 location. This solved everything

score 2 · Answer 11 · answered May 29 '23 at 02:20

2

Running Ubuntu 22.10 with Python 3.10.7 my apt package manager stopped working as well with apt reporting that the apt_pkg was not installed. What worked for me was the following:

 cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/
 ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-310-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so
 apt-get install --reinstall python3-apt -y
 init 6

Did the trick for me.

answered May 29 '23 at 02:20

gh0st

41

This on fixed it for me – Just a nice guy Dec 07 '23 at 15:32

score 2 · Answer 12 · answered Sep 22 '14 at 11:19

I have managed to solve this by copying apt_pkg.cpython-34m-i386-linux-gnu.so to /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/ from another desktop running Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. I have tried almost all possibilities found over internet like, purging python installation and then reinstalling, cleaning broken upgrade files etc, but ended up with no success.

score 1 · Answer 13 · answered Jun 07 '19 at 08:29

Just an advise: I avoid installing "my" python on /usr/local, but I have one dedicated directory per python version (e.g. in /opt) and I'm using virtual environments on my user account to use the python I need, which is activated by my .profile

By this approach, you will always avoid to change the python system expected configuration and dependencies.

Well, I know, it's too late for your case, but...

DeadlyChambers · Answer 14 · 2022-05-05T02:49:10.990

Weird, I ended up with multiple versions of python 3.9, I had 3.9 and 3.9.12 in ls /usr/bin/pyth* when I checked my version I was on 3.9.12 but sudo update-alternatives --list only showed version 3.9. What I did was

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.9.12 2
sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python3 python3 /usr/bin/python3.9 1

That got my sudo apt upgrade working, then I was able to just copy the .so file to apt_pkg.so

#You might need this if the package isn't there
#sudo apt-get install python3-apt --reinstall
cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages
sudo cp apt_pkg.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so
sudo apt upgrade

score 1 · Answer 15 · answered Nov 24 '23 at 06:25

In my Ubuntu, the default python was Python3.6, which I updated my default python into 3.9, from there I started facing the same issue.

python3 --version Will give you a good insight about which version is current default.

After going through the threads here, What I did was examined /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages

cd  /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages;
ls

found the file:

apt_pkg.cpython-36m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so

from where I understood, the issue was because, I have only dist-packages against cpython-36m but current default is 3.9 which do not have a dist package, For A quick remedy, instead of installing dist-package for 3.9, I roll back update-alternative to python3.6.

sudo update-alternatives --install /usr/bin/python python /usr/bin/python3.6 1

score 0 · Answer 16 · answered Jun 12 '20 at 07:33

I faced same problem after upgrade ubuntu 19 to ubuntu 20. In ubuntu 20 default python version is 3.8 But some packages doesn't support this version. For this I downgraded default python version to 3.7 After downgrade I faced this shit problem.

This is downgrade documentation: https://blog.nixarsoft.com/2020/06/04/ubuntu-20-and-old-python-versions/

Let me tell you how to solve this problem.

python3.8
Python 3.8.2 (default, Apr 27 2020, 15:53:34) 
[GCC 9.3.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import apt_pkg
>>> apt_pkg
<module 'apt_pkg' from '/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so'>
>>> exit

As you can see there is a ".so" file for apt_pkg and it is located to "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so" Now if you link this file to "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-37-x86_64-linux-gnu.so" then you can use this library in python 3.7. Please take care that I changed "38" to "37" in linked file. You must be root for make link.

sudo ln -s /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt_pkg.cpython-37-x86_64-linux-gnu.so

Probably you can do same method for other python versions. If you change 38 to 36 then you can use this library in python 3.6...

score 0 · Answer 17 · answered Jul 13 '20 at 08:58

0

I tried using @kodmanyagha 's answer, but no apt_pkg was found in the python environment. I solved it thanks to @saranjeet 's answer:

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

answered Jul 13 '20 at 08:58

Tzahi Leh

261

score 0 · Answer 18 · answered Aug 17 '22 at 14:49

0

I also encountered this issue, solved it by modify the shebang of /usr/bin/add-apt-repository from:

#!/usr/bin/python3

to:

#!/usr/bin/python3.6

answered Aug 17 '22 at 14:49

uriya

1

score 0 · Answer 19 · answered Jan 05 '18 at 16:14

0

Just in case it helps another, I finally solved this problem, that was apparently caused by python version conflicts, by redirecting the link python3, then redirecting it to the right python version:

sudo rm /usr/bin/python3
sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.4

You may need to enter the correct python version, found with

python3 -V

answered Jan 05 '18 at 16:14

matthias2t

37

So you removed one version for 3.4 ? – Revolucion for Monica Jul 20 '18 at 13:49
Tried this, and found it to make things worse. Cannot recommend. – MERose Jan 07 '20 at 16:30

Problem with update-manager: No module named 'apt_pkg' in Ubuntu 13.10, having installed Python 3.4 on /usr/local/lib

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