ImportError: cannot import name 'rcParams' from 'matplotlib.axes' error with PyInstaller v6.0.0 onwards

[olumide-x]

When I run a binary packaged with PyInstaller v6.0.0 onwards I get this error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "src/Application.py", line 10, in <module>
  File "PyInstaller/loader/pyimod02_importers.py", line 391, in exec_module
  ...
  (omitted own modules)
  ...
  File "matplotlib/figure.py", line 43, in <module>
  File "PyInstaller/loader/pyimod02_importers.py", line 391, in exec_module
  File "matplotlib/projections/__init__.py", line 58, in <module>
  File "PyInstaller/loader/pyimod02_importers.py", line 391, in exec_module
  File "mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/__init__.py", line 1, in <module>
  File "PyInstaller/loader/pyimod02_importers.py", line 391, in exec_module
  File "mpl_toolkits/mplot3d/axes3d.py", line 34, in <module>
ImportError: cannot import name 'rcParams' from 'matplotlib.axes' (/path/to/Application/_internal/matplotlib/axes/__init__.pyc)
[58415] Failed to execute script 'Application' due to unhandled exception!

Is this a known issue?

[rokm]

Hmm, no. Can you provide a minimal example that triggers this (i.e., what projection are you using with the figure)?

[rokm]

Yeah, so pip-installed matplitlib from your user site and mpl_toolkits from the deb package are being mixed up, and they are incompatible. The mix-up could be caused by the way PyInstaller's modulegraph searches for packages/modules, and you would avoid it by using either virtual environment (with pip-installed components) or only your system-provided environment (i.e., just deb-installed python packages, without any pip-installed components in user site).

[olumide-x]

Thanks for the workaround. Will future versions of PyInstaller address this issue?

[bwoodsend]

I don't think there's much we can do about it. There's a reason why pip tells you not to use it in a system environment.

[rokm]

Thanks for the workaround. Will future versions of PyInstaller address this issue?

Unlikely, because as far as I'm concerned, user site should be disabled on linux. Perhaps once we rewrite/replace the modulegraph, this will sort itself out.

[olumide-x]

Thanks. Can I just mention that your support is stellar by any standard.

[olumide-x]

apt list --installed python3-matplotlib would be the proper test but it looks like your matplotlib is installed into the system environment using pip but with the --user flag?

apt list --installed python3-matplotlib
Listing... Done
python3-matplotlib/jammy,now 3.5.1-2build1 amd64 [installed,automatic]