Python can't find KiCad python libs.

[CapnKernel]

Thank you so much for PcbDraw and JlcParts!

I'm running KiCad 6.0.7 in Fedora Linux 36. I have created a virtual env with python -m venv venv, activated the venv, and run pip install PcbDraw. When I run pcbdraw --help, I get the message ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pcbnew'. I'm guessing this is because my invocation of python can't find KiCad's Python libraries.

If I start Python in this venv, this is the value of sys.path:

['', '/usr/lib64/python310.zip', '/usr/lib64/python3.10', '/usr/lib64/python3.10/lib-dynload', '/home/mjd/git/ozhelm/venv/lib64/python3.10/site-packages', '/home/mjd/git/ozhelm/venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages']

If I start Python via KiCad (ie, the KiPython shell), I get this value for sys.path:

['', '/usr/lib/python3.10/site-packages', '/usr/lib64/python310.zip', '/usr/lib64/python3.10', '/usr/lib64/python3.10/lib-dynload', '/usr/lib64/python3.10/site-packages', '/usr/share/kicad/scripting', '/usr/share/kicad/scripting/plugins', '/home/mjd/.local/share/kicad/6.0/scripting', '/home/mjd/.local/share/kicad/6.0/scripting/plugins', '/usr/share/kicad/scripting']

I don't know if this is what should be picked up, but there's a pcbnew in /usr/lib/python3.10/site-packages/.

Here's the list of files in this version of Fedora's KiCad:

https://rpmfind.net/linux/RPM/fedora/updates/36/x86_64/Packages/k/kicad-6.0.7-1.fc36.x86_64.html

KiPython correctly picks up /usr/lib/python3.10/site-packages.

How can I run pcbdraw so pcbnewTransition/transition.py finds pcbnew?

[CapnKernel]

Can I get some help on this please? Thank you.

[CapnKernel]

Would really love some help

[yaqwsx]

Can you import pcbnewTransition from the python REPL inside pcbnew?

[CapnKernel]

I tried starting a shell in pcbnew using Tools > Scripting Console.

Python 3.10.7 (main, Sep  7 2022, 00:00:00) [GCC 12.2.1 20220819 (Red Hat 12.2.1-1)] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
Startup script executed: /home/mjd/.config/kicad/6.0/PyShell_pcbnew_startup.py
>>> 
>>> import pcbnewTransition
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib64/python3.10/code.py", line 90, in runcode
    exec(code, self.locals)
  File "<input>", line 1, in <module>
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pcbnewTransition'
>>> 
>>> import sys
>>> sys.path
['', '/usr/lib/python3.10/site-packages', '/usr/lib64/python310.zip', '/usr/lib64/python3.10', '/usr/lib64/python3.10/lib-dynload', '/usr/lib64/python3.10/site-packages', '/usr/share/kicad/scripting', '/usr/share/kicad/scripting/plugins', '/home/mjd/.local/share/kicad/6.0/scripting', '/home/mjd/.local/share/kicad/6.0/scripting/plugins', '/usr/share/kicad/scripting']
>>> 

pcbnew was started from the KiCad main shell, which was started from my desktop's start menu.
pcbdraw is installed in a venv inside the directory of the project KiCad currently has open. There's a venv/lib/python3.10/site-packages/pcbnewTransition/__init__.py file in that venv.

I don't know how to get the python interpreter I start in the venv outside of KiCad to know about KiCad's libraries, and I don't know how to get the python interpreter I start from pcbnew to know about the pcbdraw libraries.

[yaqwsx]

I am actually not sure if that's possible to have venv and KiCAD at the same time (I am not saying it is possible, I just don't know).

[CapnKernel]

Ahh I see. Your one line message gave me the clue I needed to find other places on the internet that have talked about this problem.

The solution is to create the venv with the --system-site-packages flag, ie:

python -m venv --system-site-packages venv

Then python started in the venv will look at the packages in the system location, which is where KiCad puts its python code.

Hope this helps someone else!

[yaqwsx]

Thanks for sharing the solution.