[Python-markdown-discuss] installer gave problems due to installing markdown.py in /bin

[Dirk v. O. IR l. <la...@ix...>]

Hi All,

I updated my markdown (from an old version, when I was still running  
python 2.5 and mac 10.4) to the latest 2.0 release.
But I ran into a problem when I tried to 'import markdown' from the  
interpreter:

ImportError: cannot import name COMMAND_LINE_LOGGING_LEVEL

After a long hard search (my knowledge and understanding of how python  
modules, init files and the pythonpath work is rather limited), I  
found the culprit cause:
The installer (which runs through 'easy_install markdown', or through  
'sudo python setup.py install'), installs a command line version of  
markdown, called markdown.py in the bin.
On my mac it installs this command line version markdown.py in / 
Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.6/bin
On a freebsd machine it installs in in /usr/local/bin

The problem is that this bin directory is present in my sys.path as  
well as in my $PATH
The latter is obviously on purpose: the command line executable should  
be on my $PATH to be able to run it in the command line.
However, since that bin is also included in python's sys.path, my  
guess is that every attempt to 'import markdown' or 'from markdown  
import ...' will import that command line version, and not the  
__init__.py in the site-packages/markdown/
(I don't know why or how I could prevent this the inclusion of this  
bin in my sys.path)

My quick fix was to rename that command line version into something  
else or to move the markdown.py to somewhere where it can be found on  
the $PATH, but not in sys.path.

Just to report my findings.
And maybe somebody could improve the installer, explain me what I was  
doing wrong or update the installation documentation.

best
dirk





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Dirk van Oosterbosch
de Wittenstraat 225
1052 AT Amsterdam
the Netherlands

http://labs.ixopusada.com
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