Failed attempt to install pyserial

[skeeve]

I got pyserial-3.4.tar.gz from https://pypi.python.org/pypi/pyserial .
I untarred it.
As root, I changed to its directory and ran
python setup.py install
and got the output listed at the end.
I didn't see any complaints.
From another command line, not as root, I tried to import serial interactively:

Error:
[hennebry@localhost ~]$ python
Python 2.6.6 (r266:84292, Aug 18 2016, 15:13:37) 
[GCC 4.4.7 20120313 (Red Hat 4.4.7-17)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> imort serial
  File "<stdin>", line 1
    imort serial
               ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> import serial
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
  File "/usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/__init__.py", line 11, in <module>
    import importlib
ImportError: No module named importlib
>>>

How much damage did I do?
Can I fix it?
Is this a Python 2/3 thing?
For some reason,
I was under the impression that pyserial was Python 2/3 agnostic.
I'm on Python 2 because that is what centos 6 has.

Output:
[root@localhost pyserial-3.4]# python setup.py install
running install
running build
running build_py
creating build
creating build/lib
creating build/lib/serial
copying serial/rs485.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/serialwin32.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/serialposix.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/win32.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/serialcli.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/serialutil.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/rfc2217.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/serialjava.py -> build/lib/serial
copying serial/__init__.py -> build/lib/serial
creating build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/hexlify_codec.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/list_ports_common.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/list_ports.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/list_ports_windows.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/list_ports_osx.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/list_ports_posix.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/miniterm.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/__init__.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
copying serial/tools/list_ports_linux.py -> build/lib/serial/tools
creating build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_hwgrep.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_rfc2217.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_serve-rfc2217.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_spy.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_loop.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_alt.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/protocol_socket.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
copying serial/urlhandler/__init__.py -> build/lib/serial/urlhandler
creating build/lib/serial/threaded
copying serial/threaded/__init__.py -> build/lib/serial/threaded
running build_scripts
creating build/scripts-2.6
copying and adjusting serial/tools/miniterm.py -> build/scripts-2.6
changing mode of build/scripts-2.6/miniterm.py from 644 to 755
running install_lib
creating /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/rs485.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/serialwin32.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
creating /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/hexlify_codec.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/list_ports_common.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/list_ports.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/list_ports_windows.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/list_ports_osx.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/list_ports_posix.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/miniterm.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/__init__.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
copying build/lib/serial/tools/list_ports_linux.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools
creating /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/threaded
copying build/lib/serial/threaded/__init__.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/threaded
copying build/lib/serial/serialposix.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/win32.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/serialcli.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/serialutil.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/rfc2217.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/serialjava.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
copying build/lib/serial/__init__.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial
creating /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_hwgrep.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_rfc2217.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_serve-rfc2217.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_spy.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_loop.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_alt.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/protocol_socket.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
copying build/lib/serial/urlhandler/__init__.py -> /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/rs485.py to rs485.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/serialwin32.py to serialwin32.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/hexlify_codec.py to hexlify_codec.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/list_ports_common.py to list_ports_common.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/list_ports.py to list_ports.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/list_ports_windows.py to list_ports_windows.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/list_ports_osx.py to list_ports_osx.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/list_ports_posix.py to list_ports_posix.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/miniterm.py to miniterm.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/__init__.py to __init__.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/tools/list_ports_linux.py to list_ports_linux.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/threaded/__init__.py to __init__.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/serialposix.py to serialposix.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/win32.py to win32.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/serialcli.py to serialcli.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/serialutil.py to serialutil.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/rfc2217.py to rfc2217.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/serialjava.py to serialjava.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/__init__.py to __init__.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_hwgrep.py to protocol_hwgrep.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_rfc2217.py to protocol_rfc2217.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_serve-rfc2217.py to protocol_serve-rfc2217.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_spy.py to protocol_spy.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_loop.py to protocol_loop.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_alt.py to protocol_alt.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/protocol_socket.py to protocol_socket.pyc
byte-compiling /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/serial/urlhandler/__init__.py to __init__.pyc
running install_scripts
copying build/scripts-2.6/miniterm.py -> /usr/bin
changing mode of /usr/bin/miniterm.py to 755
running install_egg_info
Writing /usr/lib/python2.6/site-packages/pyserial-3.4-py2.6.egg-info
[root@localhost pyserial-3.4]#

[Larz60+]

Since you are building from the tarball, you need to provide the dependencies.
This one is importlib: https://github.com/brettcannon/importlib

[skeeve]

Thanks much.

To be clear: I didn't actually destroy anything,
I just did an incomplete job. Correct?

I'll soon find out whether importlib has any dependencies.

Also, what did I miss?
Until the traceback, I hadn't noticed evidence of a need for importlib.
I'd rather not repeat this scenario the next time I install from tarball.
The first time (several years ago), I installed pyserial from tarball,
no such dependency was required, so I hadn't looked very hard.

From reading about importlib and pip,
I get the impression that I should install Python3 outside Centos's package system.
Centos does system things with Python2.
Does pip do the right thing when there are two Python installs?
Does it handle dependencies?

[Larz60+]

correct, but you will have to repeat operation after installing importlib
(I always thought that was part of the 3.4 installation python installation, but I guess not

[snippsat]

I untarred it.

Use pip or wheel(pip install wheel).

There install doc.
Just pip install pyserial should work.

mint@mint ~ $ pip -V
pip 9.0.1 from /home/mint/.pyenv/versions/3.6.2/lib/python3.6/site-packages (python 3.6)

mint@mint ~ $ pip install pyserial
Collecting pyserial
  Downloading pyserial-3.4-py2.py3-none-any.whl (193kB)
    100% |████████████████████████████████| 194kB 1.8MB/s 
Installing collected packages: pyserial
Successfully installed pyserial-3.4

mint@mint ~ $ python
Python 3.6.2 (default, Aug  6 2017, 12:55:04) 
[GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import serial
>>> serial.VERSION
'3.4'

Going back to OS default and try Python 2.

mint@mint ~ $ pyenv local system
mint@mint ~ $ pip2 -V
pip 8.1.1 from /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages (python 2.7)

mint@mint ~ $ pip2 install pyserial
Collecting pyserial
  Using cached pyserial-3.4-py2.py3-none-any.whl
Installing collected packages: pyserial
Successfully installed pyserial-3.0.1

mint@mint ~ $ python2
Python 2.7.12 (default, Nov 19 2016, 06:48:10) 
[GCC 5.4.0 20160609] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> import serial
>>> serial.VERSION
'3.4'

As you i have no problems here.