python - Upgrading python3.4 to python3.6 on ubuntu breaks pip

Question

I'm attempting to install python3.6 on my machine after I currently have python3.4. However, after installation trying to run pip under python3.6 gives me the error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "pip3", line 7, in <module>
    from pip import main
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip/__init__.py", line 59, in <module>
    from pip.log import logger
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip/log.py", line 9, in <module>
    import colorama, pkg_resources
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 1520, in <module>
    register_loader_type(importlib_bootstrap.SourceFileLoader, DefaultProvider)
AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader'
Error in sys.excepthook:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport_python_hook.py", line 63, in apport_excepthook
    from apport.fileutils import likely_packaged, get_recent_crashes
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/__init__.py", line 5, in <module>
    from apport.report import Report
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/report.py", line 30, in <module>
    import apport.fileutils
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/fileutils.py", line 23, in <module>
    from apport.packaging_impl import impl as packaging
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apport/packaging_impl.py", line 20, in <module>
    import apt
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/apt/__init__.py", line 23, in <module>
    import apt_pkg
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'apt_pkg'

Original exception was:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "pip3", line 7, in <module>
    from pip import main
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip/__init__.py", line 59, in <module>
    from pip.log import logger
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pip/log.py", line 9, in <module>
    import colorama, pkg_resources
  File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/pkg_resources.py", line 1520, in <module>
    register_loader_type(importlib_bootstrap.SourceFileLoader, DefaultProvider)
AttributeError: module 'importlib._bootstrap' has no attribute 'SourceFileLoader'

There were several comments on the internet about that error being encountered, However, none of them contain any actual resolution suggestion. Does anyone have any idea how I could fix this?

Answer 1

I managed to solve it without installing anything from sources. Here's what I did:

1. First, install pip for Python3.x (for some weird reason I didn't have it...)

   $ sudo apt-get install python3-pip
   

   It is an old version...

   $ pip3 --version
   pip 1.5.4 from /usr/lib/python3/dist-packages (python 3.4)
   

2. ... so upgrade it to the latest

   $ sudo pip3 install --upgrade pip
   

   Now it is much better

   $ sudo pip3 --version
   pip 9.0.1 from /usr/local/lib/python3.4/dist-packages (python 3.4)
   

---

3. Then upgrade virtualenvvwrapper

   $ sudo pip3 install --upgrade virtualenvwrapper
   # ...
   Successfully installed pbr-3.0.1 six-1.10.0 stevedore-1.22.0 virtualenv-15.1.0 virtualenv-clone-0.2.6 virtualenvwrapper-4.7.2
   

4. Now creating a new virtualenv works:

   $ mkvirtualenv -p `which python3.6` <VIRTUALENV_NAME>
   

   pip also works:

   $ pip install django
   # ...
   Successfully installed django-1.11.2 pytz-2017.2
   
   $ pip freeze
   Django==1.11.2
   pytz==2017.2
   

Note: Now I realize it's a bit more than what you asked for, but (without knowing where exactly you failed) I guess you should be OK after step 2.