using pip3: module "importlib._bootstrap" has no attribute "SourceFileLoader"

Question

I have installed pip for python 3.6 on Ubuntu 14. After I run

sudo apt-get install python3-pip

to install pip3, it works very well. However, after installation, when I am trying to run

pip3 install packagename

to install a new package, something strange occurs:

File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 1479, in <module>
 register_loader-type(importlib_bootstrap.SourceFileLoader, DefaultProvider)
AttributeError: module "importlib._bootstrap" has no attribute "SourceFileLoader"

It seems that I did nothing wrong, and I really cannot figure out the reason.

Solution 1

Tried to install Tensorflow in venv on Windows 10 machine with python 3.8 and got the same issue.

What helped for me was:

pip install setuptools --upgrade

Solution 2

I had the same problem on my ubuntu 18.04 with python 3.6. None of the above methods helped, but this one solved the problem:

pip3 uninstall setuptools

Solution 3

I had the same error whatever I asked to pip. I gave a look to this page: https://packaging.python.org/tutorials/installing-packages/

That line is the one that solved my problem:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

Solution 4

pip install setuptools --upgrade

This command fixed my problem

Solution 5

If you face this issue in anaconda environment, simply upgrade setuptools using the following:

conda install -c conda-forge setuptools

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Comments

[DtechNet]

Still get same error - Ubuntu 14: AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader'

[Okw]

I had issues with fs-uae-launcher not starting on Debian Buster because: AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader' Uninstalling setuptools fixed it.

[rkachach]

Thanks for the solution, none of the above solution worked and this issue was annoying my day :)

[Stanislav Ivanov]

Also helps for Ubuntu 18.04

[wrkyle]

After upgrading from Ubuntu 19.10 to 20.04 I had this problem with pip3. Nothing I'd found worked. This finally solved it.

[Mrinal Kamboj]

I have Pop!_OS 20.10 based on Ubuntu and this helped

[bm13kk]

pip3 uninstall setuptools make it worse pip3 install setuptoolssame error as in topick

[Paul P M]

helped also on Pop!_OS 21.10 as well