The problem with installing PIL using virtualenv or buildout.

Question

When I install PIL using easy_install or buildout it installs in such way, that I must do 'import Image', not 'from PIL import Image'.

However, if I do "apt-get install python-imaging" or use "pip -E test_pil install PIL", all work fine.

Here are examples of how I trying to install PIL using virtualenv:

# virtualenv --no-site-packages test_pil
# test_pil/bin/easy_install PIL
# test_pil/bin/python
Python 2.5.1 (r251:54863, Feb  6 2009, 19:02:12) 
[GCC 4.0.1 (Apple Inc. build 5465)] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import PIL
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named PIL

I see, that easy_install pack PIL into the Egg, and PIP does not. Same thing with buildbot, it uses eggs.

How could I install PIL properly, using easy_install or buildout?

Answer 1

I don't see a problem. You shouldn't need to import from PIL, so there is no issue.

Answer 2

The PIL version packaged on pypi (by the author) is fundamentally mis-packaged. People have created easy_installable versions elsewhere. Currently, you need to specify a find-links URL and pin the version to get a good package:

easy_install -f http://dist.plone.org/thirdparty/ -U PIL==1.1.7

The version pin is needed because any newer versions on pypi may not yet have been repackaged, and the mispackaged version would be found and downloaded instead.

To include PIL in a buildout, either specify the egg with the same version pin or use a versions section:

[buildout]
parts =
find-links =
    http://dist.plone.org/thirdparty/
eggs =
    PIL
versions = versions

[versions]
PIL = 1.1.7