spice-gtk: Meson build fails with "Python module six not found" with Python 3.9

[rseichter (Ralph Seichter)]

:info:configure |Program python3 found: YES (/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/bin/python3.9)
:info:configure |Message: Checking for python module six
:info:configure subprojects/spice-common/meson.build:130:6: ERROR: Problem encountered: Python module six not found

[jmroot (Joshua Root)]

It looks like spice-gtk is not trying to use python39, but rather depends on python38, py38-six, py38-parsing. However meson uses python39 by default, so I guess it assumes the build should use that version too. I don't know how spice-gtk should be telling meson which python version it wants to use.

[kencu (Ken)]

many meson builds look for a generic python3 binary, and use it if found. So if you have selected one, it will be detected.

You should patch meson.build to use the actual desired python with a patch and reinplace, or at least a reinplace, if that is the issue here.

[rseichter (Ralph Seichter)]

Bump. The issue still prevents spice-gtk-0.38_2+quartz from being built on my machine.

[grumpybozo (Bill Cole)]

Workaround tactics to try, towards accommodating/tricking both meson and spice:

• Install both python3_select and python_select use both to select python38
• Install both py38-six AND py39-six.

[raimue (Rainer Müller)]

You probably need to patch src/meson.build to use the expected python version. According to the ​meson documentation, the following patch might do what is required. But note I never tested this.

--- src/meson.build
+++ src/meson.build
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ if spice_gtk_has_gtk
   endif
 
   # keymaps
-  python = import('python').find_installation()
+  python = import('python').find_installation('python3.8')
   keymaps = ['xorgevdev',
              'xorgkbd',
              'xorgxquartz',

[reneeotten (Renee Otten)]

there are two places that this needs to be done; I think I have it almost figure out...

[reneeotten (Renee Otten)]

okay, the Python version is fixed. But then there is the issue that it isn't doing reproducible builds since optional dependencies are not declared, but also not specifically switched off. And it's not using TheRightCompiler at some point in the build. That will need a bit more time to look at.

[kencu (Ken)]

please also see all these other meson/python examples where we do the exact same thing:

$ ag find_installation
devel/glib2-devel/files/patch-meson-build-python-path.diff
1:GLib2 tries to find "python3" and if it can't find it, it will go for "python"; if port select wasn't explicitly run, this will likely end-up with Python 2.7. As a fallback, meson can use whatever python it's running on if the argument to find_installation is empty.
10:-python = import('python').find_installation('python3')
11:+python = import('python').find_installation('')

gnome/gedit/files/patch-gedit-meson-build-python3.diff
7:-python3 = python.find_installation('python3')
8:+python3 = python.find_installation('@@PYTHON3@@')

gnome/gedit-plugins/files/patch-python3-bin.diff
7:-  python3 = python.find_installation('python3')
8:+  python3 = python.find_installation('@@PYTHON3_BIN@@')

gnome/gitg/files/patch-libgitg-ext-meson-build.diff
9:+  python = import('python').find_installation('@@PYTHON3_BIN@@')

gnome/libgit2-glib/files/patch-meson-find-mp-python3.diff
8:+  python = import('python').find_installation('@@PYTHON3_BIN@@')

gnome/mm-common/files/patch-use-our-python3.diff
7:-python3 = import('python').find_installation('python3')
8:+python3 = import('python').find_installation('@@PYTHON3_BIN@@')
KensMacBookPro:macports-ports cunningh$ 

[reneeotten (Renee Otten)]

In 744522eb4a6b6f0b2ce97886e3da4e6aa410d1b7/macports-ports (master):

spice-gtk: specify Python version used for build

See: #62212

[rseichter (Ralph Seichter)]

Thanks for investigating this. With the latest changes by @reneeotten I was able to update spice-gtk and virt-manager on my machine. The attempt to open an existing QEMU VM in virt-manager results in the error message shown below, for which I should probably open a separate bug report. Still, it is progress of sorts, so thanks again.

Error launching details: could not get a reference to type class

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/share/virt-manager/virtManager/vmwindow.py", line 40, in get_instance
    cls._instances[key] = vmmVMWindow(vm)
  File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/share/virt-manager/virtManager/vmwindow.py", line 82, in __init__
    self._details = vmmDetails(self.vm, self.builder, self.topwin,
  File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/share/virt-manager/virtManager/details/details.py", line 397, in __init__
    self._xmleditor = vmmXMLEditor(self.builder, self.topwin,
  File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/share/virt-manager/virtManager/xmleditor.py", line 44, in __init__
    self._init_ui()
  File "/opt/local/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.9/share/virt-manager/virtManager/xmleditor.py", line 69, in _init_ui
    self._srcview = GtkSource.View()
TypeError: could not get a reference to type class

[frank-f]

I am seeing the same error ever since I updated to Big Sur, which was a few months ago already. I had somehow managed to install everything into one python version before, but I am clueless what is causing this error. Any idea what changed in Big Sur that broke GtkSource.View()? Installing gtksourceview versions 2.6.0 or 2.8.1 does not fix it.

[reneeotten (Renee Otten)]

please open a ticket against the virtmanager port as this is not related to spice-gtk

[reneeotten (Renee Otten)]

original issue in this ticket has been resolved; other issues are with the virt-manager and not related to this.