Why does PIP install of python-couchdb experimental branch from SVN fail?

Question

I'm setting up a Fabric/virtualenv/pip automated deployment for a project and I need to install the latest experimental branch of python-couchdb. Naturally, I stick it in my pip requirements file, like so:

-e svn+http://couchdb-python.googlecode.com/svn/branches/experimental/httplib@195#egg=CouchDB-dev_r195

However, when I run my deployment I receive the following error and traceback:

[192.168.1.200] out: Obtaining CouchDB from svn+http://couchdb-python.googlecode.com/svn/branches/experimental/httplib/#egg=CouchDB (from -r requirements.txt (line 1))
[192.168.1.200] out:   Checking out http://couchdb-python.googlecode.com/svn/branches/experimental/httplib/ to ./src/couchdb
[192.168.1.200] out:   Error [Errno 2] No such file or directory while executing command svn checkout -q http://couchdb-python.googlecode.com/svn/branches/experimental/httplib/ /home/sk/votersdaily/src/couchdb
[192.168.1.200] out: Exception:
[192.168.1.200] out: Traceback (most recent call last):
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pip-0.6.1-py2.6.egg/pip.py", line 482, in main
[192.168.1.200] out:     self.run(options, args)
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pip-0.6.1-py2.6.egg/pip.py", line 675, in run
[192.168.1.200] out:     requirement_set.install_files(finder, force_root_egg_info=self.bundle)
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pip-0.6.1-py2.6.egg/pip.py", line 2409, in install_files
[192.168.1.200] out:     req_to_install.update_editable(not self.is_download)
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pip-0.6.1-py2.6.egg/pip.py", line 1970, in update_editable
[192.168.1.200] out:     vcs_backend.obtain(self.source_dir)
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pip-0.6.1-py2.6.egg/pip.py", line 3420, in obtain
[192.168.1.200] out:     ['svn', 'checkout', '-q'] + rev_options + [url, dest])
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/local/lib/python2.6/dist-packages/pip-0.6.1-py2.6.egg/pip.py", line 4320, in call_subprocess
[192.168.1.200] out:     cwd=cwd, env=env)
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/subprocess.py", line 621, in __init__
[192.168.1.200] out:     errread, errwrite)
[192.168.1.200] out:   File "/usr/lib/python2.6/subprocess.py", line 1126, in _execute_child
[192.168.1.200] out:     raise child_exception
[192.168.1.200] out: OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

Here is what I know:

• The error relates to it not finding setup.py, as the files are never downloaded. It seems to be refusing to create the path /home/sk/votersdaily/src/couchdb, but for other packages it has always created this path as needed.
• I can run as both root and as a local user and it fails the same.
• If I create the directory manually then it pitches a prompt telling me the directory is not currently an SVN repo and asking if I would like to overwrite it. If I wipe it out it still doesn't checkout the repo.
• I have reinstalled pip and recreated the virtualenv and the bug is reproduced.
• I can execute this pip install on my local workstation (in virtualenv) successfully.

Suggestions? I know this must be some sort of library or permission conflict, but I can't seem top pin it down,

Thanks.

Answer 1

Per John Paulett's comment--you must indeed have subversion installed on the server in order to execute it on the server.

I would like the egg delivered to my face chilled, if possible.