Difficulty with python while installing YouCompleteMe in vim

Question

I've followed these instructions, in order to install YouCompleteMe in Vim, but when I issue: ``` ./install.py --clang-completer ``` The following error message comes up: ``` Searching Python 2.7 libraries... ERROR: found static Python library (/usr/local/lib/python2.7/config/libpython2.7.a) but a dynamic one is required. You must use a Python compiled with the --enable-shared flag. If using pyenv, you need to run the command: export PYTHON_CONFIGURE_OPTS="--enable-shared" before installing a Python version. Traceback (most recent call last): File "./install.py", line 44, in <module> Main() File "./install.py", line 33, in Main subprocess.check_call( [ python_binary, build_file ] + sys.argv[1:] ) File "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/subprocess.py", line 540, in check_call raise CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd) subprocess.CalledProcessError: Command '['/usr/local/bin/python', u'/home/anmol/.vim/bundle/YouCompleteMe/third_party/ycmd/build.py', '--clang-completer']' returned non-zero exit stat…

Accepted Answer

I checked YouCompleteMe's build system and it uses a custom build script that uses the Python module `distutils` to find the paths to Python's library and include directories. Your `/usr/local/` installation of Python is probably included in your `PATH` variable before the official `/usr` installation so just running `python` probably runs your custom installation, making `distutils` return its directories.

To check whether this is true, try running `which python`. I assume it will return something like `/usr/local/bin/python`.

At this point, I see several options (in order of preference).

Try running YCM's install script by specifying which Python executable should run it explicitly: `/usr/bin/python ./install.py --clang-completer`

If you use any additional completers with YCM, you should add the appropriate flags to the above line (e.g. `--js-completer` for JavaScript completion).

Edit the script `third_party/ycmd/build.py` in YouCompleteMe's plugin directory to hardcode the paths for your custom Python installation. For instance, you could replace the existing `FindPythonLibraries` function with the following:

```
def FindPythonLibraries():
    return ('/usr/lib/python2.7/config-x86_64-linux-gnu/libpython2.7.so',
            '/usr/include/python2.7')
```

Note that this will make it harder to update YouCompleteMe since you'll have to ensure it doesn't get overwritten when you update its source.

- Replace your custom installation of Python with one built as a shared library. The details of this will depend on how you installed the existing Python installation in the first place. You can check whether you installed it through a package by using `dpkg -S /usr/local/lib/python2.7/config/libpython2.7.a`. This command will tell you which package installed that file, unless you installed it manually (bypassing the package manager).

- Remove your custom `/usr/local` Python installation while ensuring you have a Python from the official repositories installed (packages `python2.7` and `libpython2.7`).

In the long run, you would probably be better off by using the official Python packages.

Difficulty with python while installing YouCompleteMe in vim

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