title: Python 2.6 virtualenv, pip throwing "ImportError: No module named _md5"
body: <p>I've been developing a django site (irrelevant) under python 2.5 up until now, when I wanted to switch to python 2.6 to make sure things worked there.  However, when I was setting up my virtualenv for 2.6, pip threw an error "ImportError: No module named _md5".</p>
  
  <p>Background:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>I'm running on Ubuntu Maverick 10.10.</li>
  <li>My python 2.5 was coming from <a href="http://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/12720" rel="nofollow noreferrer">fkrull's deadsnakes repo</a>, and has been working without issues.</li>
  <li>I create virtualenvs with <code>virtualenv &lt;path&gt; --no-site-packages --python=python2.[56]</code></li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>If I try to import hashlib from outside a virtualenv, it works fine:</p>
  
  <pre><code>$ python2.6
  Python 2.6.6 (r266:84292, Sep 15 2010, 15:52:39) 
  [GCC 4.4.5] on linux2
  Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
  &gt;&gt;&gt; import hashlib
  &gt;&gt;&gt;
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>But inside it throws the same ImportError.</p>
  
  <p>I've tried reinstalling python2.6, libpython2.6, and python2.6-minimal and recreating my virtualenv, but I get the same error.</p>
  
  <p>None of the <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/search?q=python+%22no+module+named+_md5%22">list of potential duplicates</a> didn't help, as they either use different linux distros or simply say "recompile python".</p>
  
  <p>Ideas?</p>