[Matplotlib-users] scipy, matplotlib import errors

[John <was...@gm...>]

Hello, could someone please help me understand a strange problem, possibly
associated with PYTHONPATH. When I import matplotlib, pylab, or scipy from
any directory other than the root installation directory, it fails. However,
if I'm in the python installation directory there are no errors. Thanks in
advance! Please see below:

*[jfb@andLinux ~]$ python*
Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Mar  7 2008, 04:10:12)
[GCC 4.1.3 20070929 (prerelease) (Ubuntu 4.1.2-16ubuntu2)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import scipy
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/scipy/__init__.py", line 18, in
<module>
    import pkg_resources as _pr # activate namespace packages (manipulates
__path__)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 2581, in
<module>
    add_activation_listener(lambda dist: dist.activate())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 640, in
subscribe
    callback(dist)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 2581, in
<lambda>
    add_activation_listener(lambda dist: dist.activate())
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 2130, in
activate
    map(declare_namespace, self._get_metadata('namespace_packages.txt'))
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 1749, in
declare_namespace
    _handle_ns(packageName, path_item)
  File "/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 1712, in
_handle_ns
    module = sys.modules[packageName] = new.module(packageName)
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'module'
>>>
*[jfb@andLinux ~]$ cd /usr/lib/python2.5/
[jfb@andLinux python2.5]$ python*
Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Mar  7 2008, 04:10:12)
[GCC 4.1.3 20070929 (prerelease) (Ubuntu 4.1.2-16ubuntu2)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import scipy
>>>
*[jfb@andLinux python2.5]$ cd
[jfb@andLinux ~]$ echo $PYTHONPATH*
:.:/usr/lib/python2.5/:.:/home/jfb/bin
*[jfb@andLinux ~]$*