How do I install python3-gi within virtualenv?

Question

I'm following the Python GTK+ 3 Tutorial and I'm trying to get a working install running in virtualenv. I have python3-gi installed through the Ubuntu package manager already. Things look like this:

:~$ mkvirtualenv py3 --python=/usr/bin/python3
Running virtualenv with interpreter /usr/bin/python3
Using base prefix '/usr'
New python executable in py3/bin/python3
Also creating executable in py3/bin/python
Installing setuptools, pip...python
done.
(py3):~$ python
Python 3.4.0 (default, Apr 11 2014, 13:05:11) 
[GCC 4.8.2] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import gi
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named 'gi'
>>> 
(py3):~$ deactivate
:~$ /usr/bin/python3
Python 3.4.0 (default, Apr 11 2014, 13:05:11) 
[GCC 4.8.2] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import gi
>>>

As you can see, python3-gi is obviously not available within virtualenv but I am not sure how to install it since python3-gi is installed through my package manager and not with pip.

When creating the virtual environment add the flag `--system-site-packages` — CasualDemon, Oct 31 '14 at 17:11

lofidevops · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-06T06:08:57.803

41

It is now possible to resolve this using vext. Vext allows you to install packages in a virtualenv that individually access your system packages. To access gi, do the following:

pip install vext
pip install vext.gi

edited May 06 '17 at 06:08

answered May 05 '17 at 15:01

lofidevops

15,528
14
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15

after doing this, I still get `no module named gi` – bluppfisk Sep 04 '18 at 04:56
2

@bluppfisk: you still have to `sudo apt install python-gi`. As I understood, `vext` only gives _visibility_ to the `gi` system libraries – MestreLion Nov 05 '19 at 13:32
5

This is incorrect. On Ubuntu 18, in a Python3.7 virtualenv, I still get `ImportError: No module named gi`. – Cerin May 16 '20 at 23:14

Rafa Viotti · Answer 2 · 2023-08-31T12:32:22.003

Update 2023 – macOS

Install GTK+ 3 and Gobject Introspection with Homebrew.
```
 brew install gtk+3 gobject-introspection
```
Create a virtual environment.
```
 python3 -mvenv venv
```
Install pygobject in the virtual environment (pycairo should come as a dependency).
```
 venv/bin/pip install pygobject
```

Tested on macOs Ventura 13.5, Python 3.11, Apple M1 Max chip.

Update 2018 – Debian Stretch

Install GTK+ 3 / GIR.

 apt install libcairo2-dev libgirepository1.0-dev gir1.2-gtk-3.0

Create a virtual environment.
```
 python3 -mvenv venv
```
Install pygobject (pycairo should come as a dependency).
```
 venv/bin/pip install pygobject
```

Update 2018 – macOS

Install GTK+ 3 and Gobject Introspection with Homebrew.
```
 brew install gtk+3 gobject-introspection
```
Create a virtual environment.
```
 python3 -mvenv venv
```

Install pygobject in the virtual environment (pycairo should come as a dependency).

 PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/usr/local/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig ARCHFLAGS="-arch x86_64" venv/bin/pip install pygobject

Original answer

This is what I did to get GTK+ 3 within a Python 3.5 virtual environment on OS X 10.11.

Install GTK+ 3 with Homebrew.
```
 brew install gtk+3
```

Create and activate a virtual environment.

 pyvenv-3.5 venv
 source venv/bin/activate
 cd venv

Install pycairo on the virtual environment.

 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$VIRTUAL_ENV/lib/pkgconfig

 curl -L https://cairographics.org/releases/pycairo-1.10.0.tar.bz2 | tar xj
 cd pycairo-1.10.0
 export ARCHFLAGS='-arch x86_64'

 python waf configure --prefix=$VIRTUAL_ENV # It's ok, this will fail.
 sed -i '' '154s/data={}/return/' .waf3-1.6.4-*/waflib/Build.py # Bugfix: https://bugs.freedesktop.org/show_bug.cgi?id=76759
 python waf configure --prefix=$VIRTUAL_ENV # Now it should configure.
 python waf build
 python waf install

 unset ARCHFLAGS
 cd ..

Install pygobject on the virtual environment.

 export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=$VIRTUAL_ENV/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/opt/libffi/lib/pkgconfig

 curl -L http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/sources/pygobject/3.12/pygobject-3.12.2.tar.xz | tar xJ
 cd pygobject-3.12.2

 ./configure CFLAGS="-I$VIRTUAL_ENV/include" --prefix=$VIRTUAL_ENV
 make
 make install

 cd ..

Profit.

 Python 3.5.1 (v3.5.1:37a07cee5969, Dec  5 2015, 21:12:44)
 [GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5666) (dot 3)] on darwin
 Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
 >>> from gi.repository import Gtk, Gdk, Pango, GObject
 >>> from cairo import ImageSurface, Context, FORMAT_ARGB32
 >>>

Python 3.5 downloaded and installed from PSF.

Just tried this Rafa and this worked very well for me, one typo I saw. sed -i '' '154s/data={}/return/' .waf3-1.6.4-*/waflib/Build.py should be sed -i '154s/data={}/return/' .waf3-1.6.4-*/waflib/Build.py Everything else worked out perfectly, thank you! — Malcolm Jones, Sep 05 '16 at 01:37
Hey Malcom, that is not a typo. The `-i` option with an empty string tells the standard `sed` that comes with OS X to perform an inline replace on the file without creating a backup. Maybe you are using the GNU implementation of `sed` instead? — Rafa Viotti, Sep 06 '16 at 18:00
Shucks, that's exactly it, I have gnu sed installed ! Thanks again for this !! — Malcolm Jones, Sep 08 '16 at 21:19

score 12 · Answer 3 · answered Apr 08 '15 at 20:55

I haven't found a proper solution to this. When I run into situations where I can't get something to install into a virtualenv directly, I symlink it there and it works fine (there are probably exceptions, but this is not one of them).

ln -s /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi /path_to_venv/lib/python3.4/site-packages/

Not elegant in the slightest; seems nicer than giving the virtualenv full access to all system packages though (via --system-site-packages).

`ImportError: cannot import name '_gi' from 'gi'` – Cerin May 16 '20 at 23:18 — Cerin, May 16 '20 at 23:18

score 6 · Answer 4 · answered May 23 '18 at 11:27

6

The pip package name is somewhat counterintuitive - use pip install PyGObject.

answered May 23 '18 at 11:27

rafalmp

3,988
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Paul Weaver · Answer 5 · 2022-03-17T15:46:50.457

1

I installed pgi via pip, which may be an option. It is apparently API compatible with PyGObject and so far seems to work ok running Gtk.

edited Mar 17 '22 at 15:46

answered Jul 28 '15 at 21:28

Paul Weaver

284
5
9

1

From the GitHub About: "Unmaintained: Use PyGObject instead" https://github.com/pygobject/pgi – lofidevops Mar 09 '22 at 15:38

score 0 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 10 '19 at 14:59

0

On Ubuntu (tested in 19.04), you can download the package and then install it as follows:

apt-get -y download python3-gi
dpkg-deb -x <package>.deb <virtualenv path>

In Ubuntu, the name of the downloaded package is python3-gi_3.32.0-1_amd64.deb.

answered Jul 10 '19 at 14:59

jmpcm

1,814
2
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score -1 · Answer 7 · answered Apr 06 '23 at 09:22

-1

sudo apt install build-dep python3-gi
pip install PyGObject

answered Apr 06 '23 at 09:22

eri

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How do I install python3-gi within virtualenv?

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