Buildout troubleshooting

Description

How to solve problems related to running buildout and some common exceptions you might encounter when running buildout for Plone.

Introduction

This document tells how to resolve buildout problems.

Network errors and timeouts

The usual reason for download error or timeout is that either

• pypi.python.org server is down, or
• one of plone.org servers is down, or
• other Python package source server is down.

Here are instructions how to deal with community servers down situations

• http://jacobian.org/writing/when-pypi-goes-down/

Mirrors

• http://pypi.appspot.com/

Individual package failing outside PyPI

To figure out which file buildout tries to download, usually the only way is to use buildout -D pdb debug mode and step up in stack frames to see what is going on.

parts/instance/etc/zope.conf: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

You see this error when trying to start Plone. This means that buildout did not complete correctly and did not generate configuration files.

Rerun buildout and fix errors in buildout.cfg based on buildout command output.

Buildout and SyntaxErrors

You may see SyntaxError exceptions when running buildout:

SyntaxError: ("'return' outside function", ('/usr/local/Plone/buildout-cache/eggs/tmpzTKrEI/Products.ATExtensions-1.1a3-py2.6.egg/Products/ATExtensions/skins/at_extensions/getDisplayView.py', 11, None, 'return value\n'))

They are harmless.

The reason: Buildout uses a Python tool called setuptools internally to install the packages. setuptools scans all .py files inside the Python package and assumes they are Python modules. However, Plone has something called RestrictedPython. RestrictedPython allows untrusted users to execute Python code in Plone (Python Scripts in the ZMI). RestrictedPython scripts use slightly modified Python syntax compared to plain Python modules.

setuptools does not know which files are normal .py and which files are RestrictedPython and tries to interpret them all using standard Python syntax rules. Then it fails. However, setuptools only tries to scan files (for what?) but still installs them correctly. No harm done.

Version conflicts

Buildout gives you an error if there is a dependency shared by two components, and one of the components wants to have a different version of this dependency.

Example:

  Installing.
  Getting section zeoserver.
  Initializing part zeoserver.
Error: There is a version conflict.
We already have: zope.component 3.8.0
but five.localsitemanager 1.1 requires 'zope.component<3.6dev'.

If your buildout is fetching strange versions:

• try running buildout in verbose mode: bin/buildout -vvv
• Use dumppickedversions (below)
• Manually pin down version in the [versions] section of your buildout.

Further reading:

• http://maurits.vanrees.org/weblog/archive/2010/08/fake-version-pinning
• http://www.uwosh.edu/ploneprojects/documentation/how-tos/how-to-use-buildout-to-pin-product-versions

Dump picked versions

This buildout extension will automatically dump picked Python egg versions to a file.

Add to your buildout.cfg:

extensions = buildout.dumppickedversions
dump-picked-versions-file = versions.cfg

More information

• dumppickedversions

Good-py service

Good-py contains some good known versions sets. These are most convenient to use if you are using complex configuration of add-ons that you are not familiar with.

Some good-py configurations take a Plone version as a paremeter.

Example:

[buildout]
extends =
    base.cfg
    http://dist.plone.org/release/3.3.5/versions.cfg
    http://good-py.appspot.com/release/dexterity/1.0-next?plone=3.3.5

Or:

extends =
    http://dist.plone.org/release/4.0/versions.cfg
    http://good-py.appspot.com/release/dexterity/1.0b2?plone=4.0

For more information, see

• http://dexterity-developer-manual.readthedocs.org/en/latest/prerequisite.html#buildout-configuration

Plone 3.1

Plone 3.1 and earlier are not eggified. Below are links how to keep Plone 3.1 and earlier buildouts running .

See

• http://maurits.vanrees.org/weblog/archive/2010/04/nonewplone
• http://plone.org/documentation/kb/repair-a-plone-3.1-buildout

Common pindowns

Here is a latest pindown example from 2010/02:

[versions]
# zope.app.catalog 3.6.0 requires zope.index 3.5.0
# zope.index 3.5.0 requires 'ZODB3>=3.8.0b1'
# This will conflict with the fake ZODB egg.
zope.app.catalog = 3.5.2
zope.component = 3.5.1
plone.app.z3cform=0.4.2
plone.recipe.zope2instance = 3.6
zope.sendmail = 3.6.0
Products.PluggableAuthService = 1.6.2
plone.z3cform = 0.5.8
five.intid=0.4.2
plone.reload = 0.11
Products.GenericSetup = 1.5.0

Getting distribution for distribute

You try to run buildout, but it is stuck in a loop:

Getting distribution for 'distribute'.
Getting distribution for 'distribute'.
....
Getting distribution for 'distribute'.
Getting distribution for 'distribute'.
Getting distribution for 'distribute'.

Your system-wide Distribute version is older than the latest release. Buildout tries to update it, but since system wide site-packages version overrides anything buildout can do, it is stuck in a loop.

Fix: update Distribute in system-wide Python:

easy_install -U Distribute
Searching for Distribute
Reading http://pypi.python.org/simple/Distribute/
Reading http://packages.python.org/distribute
Best match: distribute 0.6.12
Downloading http://pypi.python.org/packages/source/d/distribute/distribute-0.6.12.tar.gz#md5=5a52e961f8d8799d243fe8220f9d760e
Processing distribute-0.6.12.tar.gz
Running distribute-0.6.12/setup.py -q bdist_egg --dist-dir /tmp/easy_install-jlL3e7/distribute-0.6.12/egg-dist-tmp-IV9SiQ
Before install bootstrap.
Scanning installed packages
Setuptools installation detected at /home/moo/py24/lib/python2.4/site-packages
Non-egg installation
Removing elements out of the way...
Already patched.
/home/moo/py24/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg-info already patched.
After install bootstrap.
/home/moo/py24/lib/python2.4/site-packages/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.4.egg-info already exists
Removing distribute 0.6.10 from easy-install.pth file
Adding distribute 0.6.12 to easy-install.pth file
Installing easy_install script to /home/moo/py24/bin
Installing easy_install-2.4 script to /home/moo/py24/bin

UnknownExtra: zope.i18n 0.0 has no such extra feature 'zcml'

You get the following traceback when running buildout:

  File "/home/moo/rtv/eggs/plone.recipe.zope2instance-2.7-py2.4.egg/plone/recipe/zope2instance/__init__.py", line 93, in update
    requirements, ws = self.egg.working_set()
  File "/home/moo/rtv/eggs/zc.recipe.egg-1.1.0-py2.4.egg/zc/recipe/egg/egg.py", line 93, in working_set
    allow_hosts=self.allow_hosts,
  File "/tmp/tmpGFbvPP/zc.buildout-1.5.0b2-py2.4.egg/zc/buildout/easy_install.py", line 800, in install
  File "/tmp/tmpGFbvPP/zc.buildout-1.5.0b2-py2.4.egg/zc/buildout/easy_install.py", line 660, in install
  File "/home/moo/py24/lib/python2.4/site-packages/distribute-0.6.10-py2.4.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 551, in resolve
    requirements.extend(dist.requires(req.extras)[::-1])
  File "/home/moo/py24/lib/python2.4/site-packages/distribute-0.6.10-py2.4.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 2164, in requires
    raise UnknownExtra(
UnknownExtra: zope.i18n 0.0 has no such extra feature 'zcml'

You might be using an add-on meant for Plone 4 with Plone 3. Check if setup.py contains Zope2 as a dependency. If it does, then you need to use earlier version of the add-on for your Plone 3 site.

More info:

• http://groups.google.com/group/singing-dancing/browse_thread/thread/331cdfe78cf371ed

We already have: zope.location 3.4.0

When running buildout, Plone 3.3.5:

While:
  Installing.
  Getting section zopepy.
  Initializing section zopepy.
  Getting option zopepy:eggs.
  Getting section client1.
  Initializing section client1.
  Getting option client1:zeo-address.
  Getting section zeo.
  Initializing part zeo.
Error: There is a version conflict.
We already have: zope.location 3.4.0
but zope.traversing 3.13 requires 'zope.location>=3.7.0'.

Solution:

rm -rf fake-eggs/*
bin/buildout install zope2
bin/buildout

ImportError: No module named lxml

lxml as a PyPi package dependency fails even though it is clearly installed.

Example traceback when running buildout:

...
Processing openxmllib-1.0.6.tar.gz
<snip Unpacking... >
Running openxmllib-1.0.6/setup.py bdist_egg --dist-dir /tmp/easy_install-Urh6x4/openxmllib-1.0.6/egg-dist-tmp-ju0TuT
Traceback (most recent call last):
<snip Traceback... >
  File "setup.py", line 5, in <module>
  File "/tmp/easy_install-Urh6x4/openxmllib-1.0.6/openxmllib/__init__.py", line 17, in <module>
  File "/tmp/easy_install-Urh6x4/openxmllib-1.0.6/openxmllib/wordprocessing.py", line 5, in <module>
  File "/tmp/easy_install-Urh6x4/openxmllib-1.0.6/openxmllib/document.py", line 14, in <module>
ImportError: No module named lxml
An error occured when trying to install openxmllib 1.0.6. Look above this message for any errors that were output by easy_install.
While:
  Installing plone-core-addons.
  Getting distribution for 'openxmllib>=1.0.6'.
Error: Couldn't install: openxmllib 1.0.6

Solution: ensure lxml compilation happens before openxmllib is being compiled.

For instance, if you are installing something like Products.OpenXml, you will have likely included this egg under your Plone [instance] section of your buildout. You should consider using something like collective.recipe.staticlxml to build lxml and to do this before this egg's installation is invoked. Like so in your buildout.cfg:

[buildout]
parts =
    lxml
    ...
    instance
...

[lxml]
recipe = z3c.recipe.staticlxml
egg = lxml

More information:

• http://www.niteoweb.com/blog/order-of-parts-when-compiling-lxml
• http://plone.293351.n2.nabble.com/lxml-installs-but-Products-OpenXml-openxmllib-can-t-see-it-tp5565184p5565184.html

UnknownExtra: zope.i18n 3.4.0 has no such extra feature 'zcml'

Traceback:

An internal error occured due to a bug in either zc.buildout or in a
recipe being used:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/buildout.py", line 1660, in main
    getattr(buildout, command)(args)
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/buildout.py", line 416, in install
    [self[part]['recipe'] for part in install_parts]
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/buildout.py", line 964, in __getitem__
    options._initialize()
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/buildout.py", line 1048, in _initialize
    recipe_class = _install_and_load(reqs, 'zc.buildout', entry, buildout)
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/buildout.py", line 1004, in _install_and_load
    allow_hosts=buildout._allow_hosts
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/easy_install.py", line 800, in install
    return installer.install(specs, working_set)
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.3-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/easy_install.py", line 660, in install
    ws.resolve(requirements)
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/distribute-0.6.14-py2.6.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 557, in resolve
    requirements.extend(dist.requires(req.extras)[::-1])
  File "/Users/moo/code/gomobile/eggs/distribute-0.6.14-py2.6.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 2180, in requires
    "%s has no such extra feature %r" % (self, ext)
UnknownExtra: zope.i18n 3.4.0 has no such extra feature 'zcml'

Solution: Check that you have the correct Dexteriry or XDV pindowns / Known Good Set of versions or whether you are using a Plone 4 extension in Plone 3. For example: plone.reload 2.0 will raise this with a Plone 3.3 buildout, while plone.reload 1.5 will work with Plone 3.3.

See Also: UnknownExtra: zope.i18n 0.0 has no such extra feature 'zcml'

Can't run bootstrap.py - VersionConflict for zc.buildout

Traceback when running python bootstrap.py:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/moo/code/collective.buildout.python/parts/opt/lib/python2.6/pdb.py", line 1283, in main
    pdb._runscript(mainpyfile)
  File "/Users/moo/code/collective.buildout.python/parts/opt/lib/python2.6/pdb.py", line 1202, in _runscript
    self.run(statement)
  File "/Users/moo/code/collective.buildout.python/parts/opt/lib/python2.6/bdb.py", line 368, in run
    exec cmd in globals, locals
  File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
  File "bootstrap.py", line 256, in <module>
    ws.require(requirement)
  File "/Users/moo/code/collective.buildout.python/python-2.6/lib/python2.6/site-packages/distribute-0.6.8-py2.6.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 633, in require
    needed = self.resolve(parse_requirements(requirements))
  File "/Users/moo/code/collective.buildout.python/python-2.6/lib/python2.6/site-packages/distribute-0.6.8-py2.6.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 535, in resolve
    raise VersionConflict(dist,req) # XXX put more info here
VersionConflict: (zc.buildout 1.5.0b2 (/Users/moo/code/collective.buildout.python/python-2.6/lib/python2.6/site-packages/zc.buildout-1.5.0b2-py2.6.egg), Requirement.parse('zc.buildout==1.5.2'))

Solution: update the zc.buildout installed in your system Python:

easy_install -U zc.buildout

An error occured when trying to install lxml - error: Setup script exited with error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1

Traceback when running buildout:

...
src/lxml/lxml.etree.c:143652: error: ‘__pyx_v_4lxml_5etree_XSLT_DOC_DEFAULT_LOADER’ undeclared (first use in this function)
src/lxml/lxml.etree.c:143652: error: ‘xsltDocDefaultLoader’ undeclared (first use in this function)
src/lxml/lxml.etree.c:143661: error: ‘__pyx_f_4lxml_5etree__xslt_doc_loader’ undeclared (first use in this function)
error: Setup script exited with error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1
An error occured when trying to install lxml 2.2.8. Look above this message for any errors that were output by easy_install.
While:
  Installing instance.
  Getting distribution for 'lxml==2.2.8'.
Error: Couldn't install: lxml 2.2.8

Solution: install the libxml and libxslt development headers.

On Ubuntu/Debian you could do this as follows:

sudo apt-get install libxml2-dev libxslt-dev

VersionConflict: distribute 0.6.19

When running buildout you see something like this:

  File "/home/danieltordable.es/buildout-cache/eggs/zc.buildout-1.4.4-py2.6.egg/zc/buildout/easy_install.py", line 606, in _maybe_add_setuptools
    if ws.find(requirement) is None:
  File "/home/danieltordable.es/buildout-cache/eggs/distribute-0.6.19-py2.6.egg/pkg_resources.py", line 474, in find
    raise VersionConflict(dist,req)     # XXX add more info
VersionConflict: (distribute 0.6.19 (/home/danieltordable.es/buildout-cache/eggs/distribute-0.6.19-py2.6.egg), Requirement.parse('distribute==0.6.15'))

Buildout uses the system-wide Distribute installation (python-distribute or similar package, depends on your OS). To fix this, you need to update system-wide distribution.

Note

It is preferred to do your Python + buildout installation in a virtualenv, in order not to break your OS

Update Distribute (Plone universal installer, using supplied easy_install script):

python/bin/easy_install -U Distribute

Update Distribute (OSX/Ubuntu/Linux):

easy_install -U Distribute

argparse 1.2.1

If you get:

While:
  Installing.
  Loading extensions.
Error: There is a version conflict.
We already have: argparse 1.2.1

Rerun bootstrap.py with the correct Python interpreter.

Error: Picked: <some.package> = <some.version>

If you get something like this:

We have the distribution that satisfies 'zc.recipe.testrunner==1.2.1'.
Installing 'collective.recipe.backup'.
Picked: collective.recipe.backup = 2.4
Could't load zc.buildout entry point default
from collective.recipe.backup:
Picked: collective.recipe.backup = 2.4.
While:
  Installing.
  Getting section backup.
  Initializing section backup.
  Installing recipe collective.recipe.backup.
  Getting distribution for 'collective.recipe.backup'.
Error: Picked: collective.recipe.backup = 2.4

This means that your buildout has "allow picked versions" set to false. You need to pin the version for the picked version (or turn on "allow picked versions").

Buildout error: Not a recognized archive type

If you run across an error like this when running buildout:

...
Installing instance.
Getting distribution for 'collective.spaces'.
error: Not a recognized archive type: /home/plone/.buildout/downloads/dist/collective.spaces-1.0.zip

the error is likely stemming from an incorrect download of this egg. Check the given file to ensure that the file is correct (for instance, it is a non-zero length file or verifying the content using something like md5sum) before delving deep into your Python install's workings. This error makes it look as if your Python install doesn't have support for this type of archive, but in fact it can be caused by a corrupt download.