Python can't find module named apt_pkg

Question

I am running Ubuntu 16.04 and on my server I have 2 version of python , python3.5 and python3.6.

What I already tried is:

uninstalling python3-apt and reinstalling it, didn't help still the same error.

EDIT: on python3 I have python3.6 running.

Added error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/bin/add-apt-repository", line 11, in <module>
    from softwareproperties.SoftwareProperties import SoftwareProperties, shortcut_handler
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/softwareproperties/SoftwareProperties.py", line 27, in <module>
    import apt_pkg

Solution 1

In my case because I have 2 versions of python installed, python3.5 and python3.6 , the module wasn't found on the python3.6 version so what I did thanks to @Emmet suggestions was:

nano /usr/bin/add-apt-repository edited the line #! /usr/bin/python3 into #! /usr/bin/python3.5 and now add-apt-repository command works again.

Solution 2

It is important to understand that sometimes when you upgrade from an older python version some packages stay in the previous version path, so here is what I did:

cd /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages

check the existence of a file named apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so or 34m or 36m listing the files and when you find it, delete de current apt_pkg.so file

/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages# rm apt_pkg.so

finally create a link with the correct path using apt_pkg.so like this:

/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages# sudo ln -s apt_pkg.cpython-35m-x86_64-linux-gnu.so apt_pkg.so

Now you can try again and It should work.

Comments

[Liso]

try sudo apt install python-apt

[Sebastian]

@Emmet same thing, I also added the traceback in the post for a better view of the error.

[Liso]

Refer to this: stackoverflow.com/questions/42386097/…

[Sebastian]

@Emmet for some reasons on python3.5 works fine wierd, thanks for you help.

[Rajkumar Natarajan]

I've updated python from version 3.5 to 3.7 in my ubuntu 16.04 and I faced this issue after that. Your answer solved my issue.

[Mariusz Wiazowski]

Great! I had the same issue with identical traceback and your solution has definitely worked. Thanks!