installing PyGObject via pip in virtualenv
Question: I'm actually upgrading an old django app from python2.7 to python3.4. While
installing pygobject via pip, I got this error:

    
    
    Collecting pygobject
      Using cached pygobject-2.28.3.tar.bz2
        Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
        Traceback (most recent call last):
          File "<string>", line 20, in <module>
          File "/tmp/pip-build-9dp0wn96/pygobject/setup.py", line 272
            raise SystemExit, 'ERROR: Nothing to do, gio could not be found and is essential.'
                        ^
        SyntaxError: invalid syntax
    
        ----------------------------------------
    Command "python setup.py egg_info" failed with error code 1 in /tmp/pip-build-9dp0wn96/pygobject
    

I am trying to install it in a virtualenv. System-wide installation doesn't
work either... I am working on arch linux with python3.4

I have installed the arch package named pygobject-devel 3.16.2-1 but I still
can't import gobject python module

What is this damned missing gio?

Any help is welcomed... Thanx in advance !


Answer: Ok I just managed it !

To install PyGObject in virtrualenv, give up with pip.

  1. Install PyGObject system-wide (with your package manager or compile it manually). For example, in my case :
    
        sudo pacman -Suy python-gobject2
    

  2. Link it in your virtualenv :
    
        ln -s /usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/gobject* /WHEREVER/IS/YOUR/VIRTUALENV/venv/lib/python3.4/site-packages/
    

  3. You might need to link some other modules (in my case glib) :
    
        ln -s /usr/lib/python3.4/site-packages/glib* /WHEREVER/IS/YOUR/VIRTUALENV/venv/lib/python3.4/site-packages/
    

You might find some helpful infos about system-wide and virtualenv
installations and interactions between modules here :

[virtualenv: Specifing which packages to use system-wide vs
local](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/14571454/virtualenv-specifing-which-
packages-to-use-system-wide-vs-local)

