One error that you might encounter when working with Python is:
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'setuptools'
This error occurs when Python can’t find the setuptools module in your current Python environment.
This tutorial shows examples that cause this error and how to fix it.
How to reproduce the error
Suppose you want to use the setuptools module to package a module and distribute it.
You import the setup attribute from the setuptools module in your code as follows:
from setuptools import setup
setup()
But you get the following error when running the code:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "main.py", line 1, in <module>
from setuptools import setup
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'setuptools'
This error occurs because Python can’t find the setuptools module in the current environment.
The setuptools module is usually bundled with the most recent Python versions, so it should be available when you installed the Python program.
But if you see this error, then Python might have skipped building the setuptools module when you install it.
To see if you have the setuptools module installed, you can run the pip show setuptools command from the terminal as follows:
$ pip3 show setuptools
WARNING: Package(s) not found: setuptools
If you get the warning shown above, then you need to install the setuptools module.
How to fix this error
To resolve this error, you need to install the setuptools library using pip as shown below:
pip install setuptools
# For pip3:
pip3 install setuptools
Once the module is installed, you should be able to run the code that imports setuptools without receiving the error.
Install commands for other environments
The install command might differ depending on what environment you used to run the Python code.
Here’s a list of common install commands in popular Python environments to install the setuptools module:
# if you don't have pip in your PATH:
python -m pip install setuptools
python3 -m pip install setuptools
# Windows
py -m pip install setuptools
# Anaconda
conda install setuptools
Once the module is installed, you should be able to run the code without receiving this error.
Other common causes for this error
If you still see the error even after installing the module, it means that the setuptools module can’t be found in your Python environment.
There are several reasons why this error can happen:
- You may have multiple versions of Python installed on your system, and you are using a different version of Python than the one where setuptools is installed.
- You might have setuptools installed in a virtual environment, and you are not activating the virtual environment before running your code.
- Your IDE uses a different version of Python from the one that has setuptools
- The package is not installed in PyCharm
Let’s see how to fix these errors in practice.
1. You have multiple versions of Python
If you have multiple versions of Python installed on your system, you need to make sure that you are using the specific version where the setuptools module is available.
You can test this by running the which -a python or which -a python3 command from the terminal:
$ which -a python3
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3
/usr/bin/python3
In the example above, there are two versions of Python installed on /opt/homebrew/bin/python3 and /usr/bin/python3.
Suppose you run the following steps in your project:
- Install setuptools with
pipusing/usr/bin/Python version - Install Python using Homebrew, you have Python in
/opt/homebrew/ - Then you run
import setuptoolsin your code
The steps above will cause the error because setuptools is installed in /usr/bin/, and your code is probably executed using Python from /opt/homebrew/ path.
To solve this error, you need to run the pip install setuptools command again so that setuptools is installed and accessible by the active Python version.
2. Python virtual environment is active
Another scenario that could cause this error is you may have setuptools installed in a virtual environment.
Python venv package allows you to create a virtual environment where you can install different versions of packages required by your project.
If you are installing setuptools inside a virtual environment, then the module won’t be accessible outside of that environment.
You can see if a virtual environment is active or not by looking at your prompt in the terminal.
When a virtual environment is active, the name of that environment will be shown inside parentheses as shown below:
In the picture above, the name of the virtual environment (demoenv) appears, indicating that the virtual environment is currently active.
If you run pip install while the virtual environment is active, then the package is installed only for that environment
Likewise, any package installed outside of that virtual environment won’t be accessible from the virtual environment. The solution is to run the pip install command on the environment you want to use.
If you want to install setuptools globally, then turn off the virtual environment by running the deactivate command before running the pip install command.
3. IDE using a different Python version
Finally, the IDE from where you run your Python code may use a different Python version when you have multiple versions installed.
For example, you can check the Python interpreter used in VSCode by opening the command palette (CTRL + Shift + P for Windows and ⌘ + Shift + P for Mac) then run the Python: Select Interpreter command.
You should see all available Python versions listed as follows:
You need to use the same version where you installed setuptools so that the module can be found when you run the code from VSCode.
Once done, you should be able to import setuptools into your code.
4. You see this error in PyCharm
If you’re using PyCharm as your IDE, then this error might occur because the package is not installed in the Python interpreter used by PyCharm.
This is because PyCharm creates a new virtual environment for each project you create using the IDE.
To resolve this error, you can install the package using PyCharm’s terminal.
For more information, you can see the guide to install and uninstall packages in PyCharm.
Conclusion
In summary, the ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'setuptools' error occurs when the setuptools library is not available in your Python environment. To fix this error, you need to install setuptools using pip.
If you already have the module installed, make sure you are using the correct version of Python, check if the virtual environment is active if you have one, and check for the Python version used by your IDE.
By following these steps, you should be able to import the setuptools module in your code successfully.
I hope this tutorial is helpful. Until next time! 👋