The Python ecosystem has a very long history. Over the years, an uncountable number of modules have been created, but more importantly, the assembly technology of these modules has changed many times. ez_install, setuptools, distutils, eggs, pip, wheels, PEP-518, PEP-517, flit, poetry. All this diversity creates great difficulties. Poetry, on the one hand, being a build system, can abandon the setuptools and distutils formats, but at the same time, being a dependency installation and management system, it must support all current distribution technologies. And it can do this without revealing the internal structure and the machinery behind curtains. In other words, when you use Poetry, both setuptools, pip and other build tools can be used to install some modules, and this happens without formally declaring dependence on these tools.
All these factors can cause the module not to be assembled or installed in a certain environment. Nix is a much stricter ecosystem, it has more formal requirements, but at the same time more guarantees. And since poetry2nix relies on Nix and its strict rules in its work, there are many rough edges and inaccuracies in the metadata on pypi.org leads to errors.
This is very sad, and we will inevitably face the fact that some modules can not be installed, can not be built, or just cause errors, have unnecessary or missing direct and transitive dependencies. However, Nix is a very flexible system that allows you to modify some aspects of the module with pinpoint accuracy, without changing the source code of the module (and sometimes changing it). This is what this section is dedicated to. We have tried to collect here and describe typical errors and ways to eliminate them.
Conditions: You have declared a Python package dependency. And this package uses one of the build tools mentioned above (setuptools, pdm, etc.). Since poetry2nix prefers to build from source it requires the build tool. And that’s when the error occurs.
Solution: In order to make the dependency build, we need to override its build dependencies by adding the PACKAGENAME package to it.
Example: Let's consider the situation when our package has declared django-floppyforms as a dependency in pyproject.toml, which uses PACKAGENAME to be built. And we have this declaration in our Nix definition:
poetry2nix.mkPoetryApplication {
projectDir = ./.;
}And trying to build it results in the following error log
error log (click to expand)
Sourcing python-remove-tests-dir-hook
Sourcing python-catch-conflicts-hook.sh
Sourcing python-remove-bin-bytecode-hook.sh
Sourcing pip-install-hook
Using pipInstallPhase
Sourcing python-imports-check-hook.sh
Using pythonImportsCheckPhase
Sourcing python-namespaces-hook
Sourcing pip-build-hook
Using pipBuildPhase
Using pipShellHook
@nix { "action": "setPhase", "phase": "unpackPhase" }
unpacking sources
unpacking source archive /nix/store/w1gk95sf5lknw0mxav5gsvcijcwfqkwh-django-floppyforms-1.9.0.tar.gz
source root is django-floppyforms-1.9.0
setting SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH to timestamp 1589942379 of file django-floppyforms-1.9.0/setup.cfg
@nix { "action": "setPhase", "phase": "patchPhase" }
patching sources
@nix { "action": "setPhase", "phase": "configurePhase" }
configuring
no configure script, doing nothing
@nix { "action": "setPhase", "phase": "buildPhase" }
building
Executing pipBuildPhase
Creating a wheel...
WARNING: The directory '/homeless-shelter/.cache/pip' or its parent directory is not owned or is not writable by the current user. The cache has been disabled. Check the permissions and owner of that directory. If executing pip with sudo, you should use sudo's -H flag.
Processing /build/django-floppyforms-1.9.0
Running command Preparing metadata (pyproject.toml)
Preparing metadata (pyproject.toml) ... done
ERROR: Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py", line 167, in exc_logging_wrapper
status = run_func(*args)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/req_command.py", line 247, in wrapper
return func(self, options, args)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/commands/wheel.py", line 145, in run
requirement_set = resolver.resolve(reqs, check_supported_wheels=True)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/resolver.py", line 73, in resolve
collected = self.factory.collect_root_requirements(root_reqs)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/factory.py", line 491, in collect_root_requirements
req = self._make_requirement_from_install_req(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/factory.py", line 453, in _make_requirement_from_install_req
cand = self._make_candidate_from_link(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/factory.py", line 206, in _make_candidate_from_link
self._link_candidate_cache[link] = LinkCandidate(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/candidates.py", line 297, in __init__
super().__init__(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/candidates.py", line 162, in __init__
self.dist = self._prepare()
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/candidates.py", line 231, in _prepare
dist = self._prepare_distribution()
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/resolution/resolvelib/candidates.py", line 308, in _prepare_distribution
return preparer.prepare_linked_requirement(self._ireq, parallel_builds=True)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py", line 438, in prepare_linked_requirement
return self._prepare_linked_requirement(req, parallel_builds)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py", line 524, in _prepare_linked_requirement
dist = _get_prepared_distribution(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/operations/prepare.py", line 68, in _get_prepared_distribution
abstract_dist.prepare_distribution_metadata(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/distributions/sdist.py", line 61, in prepare_distribution_metadata
self.req.prepare_metadata()
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/req/req_install.py", line 533, in prepare_metadata
self.metadata_directory = generate_metadata(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/operations/build/metadata.py", line 35, in generate_metadata
distinfo_dir = backend.prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel(metadata_dir)
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_internal/utils/misc.py", line 706, in prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel
return super().prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel(
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_vendor/pep517/wrappers.py", line 188, in prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel
return self._call_hook('prepare_metadata_for_build_wheel', {
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_vendor/pep517/wrappers.py", line 332, in _call_hook
raise BackendUnavailable(data.get('traceback', ''))
pip._vendor.pep517.wrappers.BackendUnavailable: Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/nix/store/85xz0a1v6kk26c8a78pckbylhkdmlb6g-python3.10-pip-22.2.2/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pip/_vendor/pep517/in_process/_in_process.py", line 89, in _build_backend
obj = import_module(mod_path)
File "/nix/store/qc8rlhdcdxaf6dwbvv0v4k50w937fyzj-python3-3.10.8/lib/python3.10/importlib/__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1050, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1027, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 992, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 241, in _call_with_frames_removed
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1050, in _gcd_import
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1027, in _find_and_load
File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1004, in _find_and_load_unlocked
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'setuptools'
error (ignored): error: cannot unlink '/tmp/nix-build-python3.10-django-4.1.3.drv-1/Django-4.1.3': Directory not empty
error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/hz4b87s99s1lwiz2m0vwilhlh6rlfj64-python3-3.10.8-env.drv' failed to build
error: 1 dependencies of derivation '/nix/store/60gaxbdf11lhaj9xg50cf0rr6x5v8v1z-nix-shell-env.drv' failed to build
As you can see on the fourth last line it's missing setuptools which in this case is our missing PACKAGENAME.
In order to be able to build django-floppyforms we should modify our nix definition as follows:
poetry2nix.mkPoetryApplication {
projectDir = ./.;
overrides = poetry2nix.defaultPoetryOverrides.extend
(self: super: {
django-floppyforms = super.django-floppyforms.overridePythonAttrs
(
old: {
buildInputs = (old.buildInputs or [ ]) ++ [ super.setuptools ];
}
);
});
}This override will instruct the underlying build logic to include the additional build dependency into the inputs of django-floppyforms.
It might help to know that you don't need to use the full package name like python39Packages.setuptools but can just use setuptools directly.
Be aware that the package names are normalized according to PEP-517, so something like flit_scm becomes flit-scm.
It can happen that you need multiple overrides for your project, just work through one after the other and your project should build at the end. Your file might then look something like this:
poetry2nix.mkPoetryApplication {
projectDir = ./.;
overrides = poetry2nix.defaultPoetryOverrides.extend
(self: super: {
first-dependency = super.first-dependency.overridePythonAttrs
(
old: {
buildInputs = (old.buildInputs or [ ]) ++ [ super.buildtools ];
}
);
second-dependency = super.second-dependency.overridePythonAttrs
(
old: {
buildInputs = (old.buildInputs or [ ]) ++ [ super.pdm ];
}
);
});
}If you need very many of these overrides or you need to use them twice, consider using something like this. It has less repetition:
let
pypkgs-build-requirements = {
tox = [ "hatchling" "hatch-vcs" ];
universal-pathlib = [ "flit-core" ];
pygithub = [ "setuptools-scm" ];
beautifulsoup4 = [ "hatchling" ];
xyzservices = [ "setuptools" ];
simpervisor = [ "setuptools" ];
pandas = [ "versioneer" ];
};
p2n-overrides = p2n.defaultPoetryOverrides.extend (self: super:
builtins.mapAttrs (package: build-requirements:
(builtins.getAttr package super).overridePythonAttrs (old: {
buildInputs = (old.buildInputs or [ ]) ++ (builtins.map (pkg: if builtins.isString pkg then builtins.getAttr pkg super else pkg) build-requirements);
})
) pypkgs-build-requirements
);
in
poetry2nix.mkPoetryApplication {
projectDir = ./.;
overrides = p2n-overrides;
}We recommend that you contribute your changes to poetry2nix so that other users can profit from them as well.
The specific file with the upstream overrides is build-systems.json. It is a simple JSON file which contains the overrides in an array and sorted in alphabetical order.
ERROR: Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement [package spec] (from [package]) (from versions: none)
ERROR: Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement python-ulid<2.0.0,>=1.1.0 (from linz-logger) (from versions: none) ERROR: No matching distribution found for python-ulid<2.0.0,>=1.1.0
This is usually because of setuptools-scm. I'd try adding an override for [the package mentioned in the package spec]. It might be sufficient to simply add setuptools-scm.
Resulting override:
{
python-ulid = super.python-ulid.overridePythonAttrs (
old: {
nativeBuildInputs = (old.nativeBuildInputs or [ ]) ++ [ self.setuptools-scm ];
}
);
}- Enable
--show-trace. - Remove packages from the
pyproject.toml,rm poetry.lock && nix shell nixpkgs#poetry --command poetry lock. - Try running poetry2nix again.
By these means, one can bisect the package-set to find the problematic package.
One error you might run into is an "infinite recursion encountered." If this error indicates this happens happens while evaluating the attribute 'propagatedBuildInputs' of the derivation 'python${version}-${pkg_name}', then it is possible ${pkg_name} has a recursive dependency.
For example, this is the abbreviated error message if I try to install dask[distributed]:
error: infinite recursion encountered
… while evaluating the attribute 'propagatedBuildInputs' of the derivation 'python3.11-distributed-2023.3.2'
… while evaluating the attribute 'propagatedBuildInputs' of the derivation 'python3.11-dask-2023.3.2'
… while evaluating the attribute 'propagatedBuildInputs' of the derivation 'python3.11-main-0.1.0'
This is because dask[distributed] depends on distributed which depends on dask. The solution is to install dask (no extras) and distributed separately.