FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] "dot" not found in path

[sys-walker]

Description

I tried to use pydot to plot a decision tree but i got this error, i will provide the code used in order to reproduce that situation Main.py

$ /home/sys-walker/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree/venv/bin/python /home/sys-walker/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree/Main.py

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/sys-walker/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree/Main.py", line 34, in <module>
    graph.write_png('example1_graph.png')
  File "/home/sys-walker/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pydot.py", line 1743, in new_method
    self.write(
  File "/home/sys-walker/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pydot.py", line 1828, in write
    s = self.create(prog, format, encoding=encoding)
  File "/home/sys-walker/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/pydot.py", line 1933, in create
    raise OSError(*args)
FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] "dot" not found in path.
        ^

Time: 0.002s
sys-walker@(none):sys-walker>

Environment used

• OS and python version information.

$  cat /etc/os-release
NAME="Ubuntu"
VERSION="20.04.2 LTS (Focal Fossa)"
ID=ubuntu
ID_LIKE=debian
PRETTY_NAME="Ubuntu 20.04.2 LTS"
VERSION_ID="20.04"
HOME_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/"
SUPPORT_URL="https://help.ubuntu.com/"
BUG_REPORT_URL="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/"
PRIVACY_POLICY_URL="https://www.ubuntu.com/legal/terms-and-policies/privacy-policy"
VERSION_CODENAME=focal
UBUNTU_CODENAME=focal


(venv) sys-walker@sys-walker:~/Documentos/PyCharmProjects/PlotDesicionTree$ python --version
Python 3.8.5

• Pydot version used.

pydot version 1.4.2

• Output of pip freeze command.

$ pip3 freeze
pkg-resources==0.0.0
pydot==1.4.2
pyparsing==2.4.7

[peternowee]

Do you have Graphviz installed? What is the output of running dot -V from the command line?

[sys-walker]

It was this.I did have not install Graphviz, thanks a lot

[peternowee]

No problem, maybe we should see if we can make the error message more clear. Thanks, all the best!

[peternowee]

Should be solved as part of #218. That PR is currently closed, but I hope to reopen it in the future.

[etienne-sf]

Hello,

Yes, it would be nice to have a clear error message.
:As an addition, it would also be nice that the README states more clearly (that is: at the beginning) that graphviz needs to be installed. It's written in the Dependencies part, at the very end of this README. So this strange error comes once pydot is installed, and while doing a first trial.
(as a wish: it could be automatically downloaded by pydot...)

Etienne

NB: in the meanwhile, please let this issue open! At least, we know what to do with this error. And now, I can generate graphviz schema from Python, which is nice! :)

[mainguyenanhvu]

I faced the same error. I can't run dot -V. Please show me the way to fix it. Thank you very much.

My pip install:

pip freeze
graphviz==0.20.1
pydot==1.4.2
pyparsing==3.1.1

Update:
I have to install by using sudo:

sudo apt-get install graphviz

However, if I do not have sudo permission, please help me to solve it.

[mainguyenanhvu]

@sys-walker: Is the problem solved by using conda https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/graphviz?

[lkk7]

The issue is fixed by installing graphviz in any way possible on your system: https://graphviz.org/ and making sure it's on your PATH when the script using pydot is running.
I'll try to change the error message to make it clearer.

Closing because of inactivity.
Feel free to tag me if you encounter any more problems!

[mainguyenanhvu]

@lkk7 how can I find pydot PATH?

[lkk7]

Hi @mainguyenanhvu,

Do you have graphiz (dot) already installed?
If you can run a dot -V command, it's already in your PATH.
If not, you have to add it to your PATH. The way of doing that depends on your operating system.

[mainguyenanhvu]

@lkk7 I do not see that PATH and not found dot when running dot -V. My OS is Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Please help me.

[lkk7]

@mainguyenanhvu

Try installing graphviz:
sudo apt install graphviz

This should fix the problem.

If you still have problems with sudo like you said earlier, then you have to solve the issue on your own. Is this your own system/computer? If not, you'll have to ask the admin to install this for you. If this is your computer and system, then you should be able to use sudo.

[mainguyenanhvu]

@lkk7 Thank you for your support. I understand that there is no way except using sudo to overcome this problem.

[lkk7]

@mainguyenanhvu well, maybe you can install it without sudo, just like this: apt install graphviz.
But I can't help much more without knowledge about your specific system and environment.