installing Mayavi with pip - no module named vtk

Question

I want to use Mayavi.

Situation

• I use a MacBook Air, with OSX 10.7.3.
• I use Python 2.7.2
• I have virtualenv installed. But I have not used it for this installation.

I've manually installed all it's dependencies, including VTK.

For VTK, I followed its installation guide and installed the python wrapper.

Now if I open a new terminal window and open python, I can import vtk without any error.

Problem

I try to install Mayavi with the following command:

pip install mayavi

But the following error occurs:

Downloading/unpacking mayavi
  Running setup.py egg_info for package mayavi
    build_src
    building extension "tvtk.array_ext" sources
    building data_files sources
    build_src: building npy-pkg config files

    no previously-included directories found matching 'artwork'
    no previously-included directories found matching 'docs/pdf'
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): apptools in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages (from mayavi)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): traits in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages (from mayavi)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): traitsui in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages (from mayavi)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): configobj in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages (from apptools->mayavi)
Requirement already satisfied (use --upgrade to upgrade): pyface in /Library/Python/2.7/site-packages (from traitsui->mayavi)
Installing collected packages: mayavi
  Running setup.py install for mayavi
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
      File "/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py", line 498, in <module>
        **config
      File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/numpy-1.6.1-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/numpy/distutils/core.py", line 186, in setup
        return old_setup(**new_attr)
      File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/core.py", line 152, in setup
        dist.run_commands()
      File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 953, in run_commands
        self.run_command(cmd)
      File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 972, in run_command
        cmd_obj.run()
      File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/numpy-1.6.1-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/numpy/distutils/command/install.py", line 57, in run
        r = self.setuptools_run()
      File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/numpy-1.6.1-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/numpy/distutils/command/install.py", line 31, in setuptools_run
        return old_install_mod._install.run(self)
      File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/command/install.py", line 573, in run
        self.run_command('build')
      File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/cmd.py", line 326, in run_command
        self.distribution.run_command(command)
      File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 972, in run_command
        cmd_obj.run()
      File "/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py", line 303, in run
        build_tvtk_classes_zip()
      File "/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py", line 290, in build_tvtk_classes_zip
        gen_tvtk_classes_zip()
      File "tvtk/setup.py", line 46, in gen_tvtk_classes_zip
        from code_gen import TVTKGenerator
      File "tvtk/code_gen.py", line 10, in <module>
        import vtk
    ImportError: No module named vtk
    Complete output from command /usr/bin/python -c "import setuptools;__file__='/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py';exec(compile(open(__file__).read().replace('\r\n', '\n'), __file__, 'exec'))" install --single-version-externally-managed --record /var/folders/53/_trhc_0x0fb6kvx6bw_wrk500000gn/T/pip-Z4hpsW-record/install-record.txt:
    running install

running build

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>

  File "/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py", line 498, in <module>

    **config

  File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/numpy-1.6.1-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/numpy/distutils/core.py", line 186, in setup

    return old_setup(**new_attr)

  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/core.py", line 152, in setup

    dist.run_commands()

  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 953, in run_commands

    self.run_command(cmd)

  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 972, in run_command

    cmd_obj.run()

  File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/numpy-1.6.1-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/numpy/distutils/command/install.py", line 57, in run

    r = self.setuptools_run()

  File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/numpy-1.6.1-py2.7-macosx-10.7-intel.egg/numpy/distutils/command/install.py", line 31, in setuptools_run

    return old_install_mod._install.run(self)

  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/command/install.py", line 573, in run

    self.run_command('build')

  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/cmd.py", line 326, in run_command

    self.distribution.run_command(command)

  File "/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/distutils/dist.py", line 972, in run_command

    cmd_obj.run()

  File "/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py", line 303, in run

    build_tvtk_classes_zip()

  File "/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py", line 290, in build_tvtk_classes_zip

    gen_tvtk_classes_zip()

  File "tvtk/setup.py", line 46, in gen_tvtk_classes_zip

    from code_gen import TVTKGenerator

  File "tvtk/code_gen.py", line 10, in <module>

    import vtk

ImportError: No module named vtk

----------------------------------------
Command /usr/bin/python -c "import setuptools;__file__='/Users/Yasser/build/mayavi/setup.py';exec(compile(open(__file__).read().replace('\r\n', '\n'), __file__, 'exec'))" install --single-version-externally-managed --record /var/folders/53/_trhc_0x0fb6kvx6bw_wrk500000gn/T/pip-Z4hpsW-record/install-record.txt failed with error code 1 in /Users/Yasser/build/mayavi
Storing complete log in /Users/Yasser/Library/Logs/pip.log
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/bin/pip", line 8, in <module>
    load_entry_point('pip==1.1', 'console_scripts', 'pip')()
  File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/pip-1.1-py2.7.egg/pip/__init__.py", line 116, in main
    return command.main(args[1:], options)
  File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/pip-1.1-py2.7.egg/pip/basecommand.py", line 141, in main
    log_fp = open_logfile(log_fn, 'w')
  File "/Library/Python/2.7/site-packages/pip-1.1-py2.7.egg/pip/basecommand.py", line 168, in open_logfile
    log_fp = open(filename, mode)
IOError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/Users/Yasser/Library/Logs/pip.log'

I think the problem is with vtk.

Can anyone help me?

Other Details

Running sudo pip install mayavi does not solve the problem.

I thought this might help

› which python
/usr/local/bin/python

› python
Python 2.7.2 (default, Feb 17 2012, 13:57:55) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Based on Apple Inc. build 5658) (LLVM build 2335.15.00)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import vtk
>>> vtk
<module 'vtk' from '/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.2/lib/python2.7/site-packages/VTK-5.10.0-py2.7.egg/vtk/__init__.pyc'>
>>> 

My PYTHONPATH is empty.

Answer 1

I had the same problem and the first answer didn't help me because pip was in the right directory, but it turned out I didn't have vtk installed - running sudo apt-get install python-vtk fixed the issue and I was able to successfully run pip install mayavi after that.

Answer 2

Your pip is probably using a different python, kind of you have vtk installed using /usr/local/bin/python, while your pip binary uses /usr/bin/python.

Check it:

$ head -n1 $(which pip)

In order to get it solved, you can choose to use a virtualenv, or install pip using /usr/local/bin/python:

curl https://raw.github.com/pypa/pip/master/contrib/get-pip.py | /usr/local/bin/python

For more installation instructions, see http://www.pip-installer.org/en/latest/installing.html

Answer 3

I had the same problem when installing mayavi with python installed in pyenv, and I solved this problem by copy directory to /home/myname/.pyenv/versions/2.7.12/lib/python2.7/site-packages, below is my method:

1. install vtk and python-vtk

   sudo apt-get install vtk6
   sudo apt-get install python-vtk
   

2. try python -c "import vtk", if failed again, go to step 3

3. the import error may caused by the loss of vtk package folder in your current python, so we should find the vtk folder and copy to your current python(most possible the python in pyenv shims directory)'s directory .

   the path of the vtk folder in my ubuntu is

   /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/vtk
   

   just copy the vtk folder to your current python's /site-packages, e.g.

   cp -r /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/vtk /home/myname/pyenv/versions/2.7.12/lib/python2.7/site-packages
   

4. try python -c "import vtk" again.

5. if no import error, just do

   pip install mayavi
   

Answer 4

I'm on Debian but this should work for you as well

I was stuck with installing vtk into a virtualenv, after hours of search with no results I did the following and it worked.

1. install python-vtk from repositories systemwide

2. copy vtk folder from /usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7 to /PATH/TO/YOUR/VIRTUALENV/lib/python2.7/site-packages

In your case the system-wide python packages folder would probably be different but you can easily find it by firing up system python and entering the following:

import vtk,sys
print(sys.modules['vtk'])

After this trick mayavi was succesfully installed into my virtualenv using pip install mayavi and pip install envisage.

Edit: instead of copying it might better to just symlink the folder in step 2

Answer 5

I insisted in sudo install for several times, finally got solved, don't know how to explain.

sudo python2 -m pip install mayavi

sudo python3 -m pip install mayavi

Answer 6

I installed vtk using Homebrew:

$ brew install vtk

hope this helps.