Bug report #5879

running from build directory - no python plugins

Added by Etienne Tourigny over 12 years ago. Updated over 10 years ago.

Status:Closed
Priority:Normal
Assignee:Sandro Santilli
Category:Python plugins
Affected QGIS version:master Regression?:No
Operating System: Easy fix?:No
Pull Request or Patch supplied:Yes Resolution:
Crashes QGIS or corrupts data:No Copied to github as #:15338

Description

When developing qgis, much time can be saved by running from the build directory, bu the core plugins are missing because they are not present in the build dir.

Perhaps a new "make install-dev" Makefile command could copy the plugins and also other missing things?

Also related, "imports should be moved into classFactory() so that nothing
happens unless the plugin is explicitly started".

More details: http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/qgis-developer/2012-June/020744.html

Quoting Martin Dobias

- when QGIS is run from build directory, it doesn't copy the internal
python plugins to the build output directory - that's why sextante is
complaining about missing plugin installer. We should probably fix
that in order to provide an environment that is as similar to the
installed one as possible

- the imports should be moved into classFactory() so that nothing
happens unless the plugin is explicitly started. (this problem will go
away once we stop using metadata from __init__.py and only use them
from metadata.txt)

Related issues

Related to QGIS Application - Bug report #6913: Python interpreter starts hardwired to search buildSource... Closed 2012-12-22

History

#1 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

+1, this is very important for core plugin development

#2 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

  • Pull Request or Patch supplied changed from No to Yes

So I've done some work to install the db_manager plugin to output/python/plugin/* and to have qgis load it.
The result is two pull requests:
https://github.com/qgis/Quantum-GIS/pull/285
https://github.com/qgis/Quantum-GIS/pull/286

#3 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

Alright, I confirm things work with those two pulls above. I can get db_manager loaded from output dir.
Next stop will be installing all plugins under output/

Ideally we'd have a macro for this on the CMake side, as the db_manager install has been very tedious....

Anyway please pull those two branches so I can get back to db_manager hacking when I find the time :)

#4 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

I was thinking about two other possible ways to fix this:
1. Have the build dir listed in sys.path and plugin_paths, and make sure all sources are also copied to build dir
2. Have both the build dir and the source dir listed in sys.path and plugins_path

The second option would make the support automatically available to all plugins with no need to maintain anything at the plugin-level.

#5 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

  • % Done changed from 0 to 30

As of 6461a0125b2f83649d1604cbc11fcb6678490ed5 qgis running from build tree would find any python plugin under output/python/plugins. So next thing to do is find an easy way to get plugins under there...

#6 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

  • % Done changed from 30 to 70

8ca2236134a8d441803c9bdfdfb5dfcbc5536524 provides a PLUGIN_INSTALL macro and makes db_manager use that.
All plugins that are to be loaded from build dir should switch to use that macro now, in order for this to be closed

#7 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

plugin_installer plugin ready to run from build dir as of f93f844867e0bbecb461ef571f9dc7a6dfdaf3e6

#8 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

  • % Done changed from 70 to 80

fTools ready with b892a021af26b39285bebe9199c9534deade135d
mapserver_export ready with 9a0c4ffdb56765893764ca294088cb0967ca03d4

Still left: osm, sextante and sextanteexampleprovider

#9 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

9f1351b08b957f76a570d80c2338ec691550d1a2 does osm, so only left is sextante

#10 Updated by Larry Shaffer about 12 years ago

  • Status changed from Open to Feedback

A current issue regarding the loading of plugins (while running from the build directory) is when plugins are restored on launch of the app. There is currently a goofy fix for this with commits e31fb3c9 and commit: where QgsApplication::pkgDataPath() is temporarily set to something other than QgsApplication::buildSourcePath() when restoring core plugins.

The reason for that patch: when QgsPluginRegistry::restoreSessionPlugins() is called the Python packages are imported from QgsApplication::buildSourcePath()/python/plugins even though that path is NOT in sys.path for the interpreter. If QgsApplication::pkgDataPath() is pointed to something other than QgsApplication::buildSourcePath(), or an empty QString, it works. However, I could find no means by which the interpreter was assigned that module search path.

I have tried:

  • changing the current working directory in C++ and via Python
  • setting PYTHONPATH
  • setting all kinds of debug output from the interpreter (never shows buildSourcePath()/python/plugins in sys.path)
  • giving up <-- that kinda worked

To reproduce the issue, run QGIS from the build directory and then launch DB Manager core plugin. You will get an error about a missing ui_*.py file, because that 'compiled' version of a *.ui file does not exist in source directory, only in the build/output/python/plugins staged version of the plugin.

Now, run QGIS again, but with the --noplugins option. This will keep restoreSessionPlugins() from being called. After using Plugin Manager to turn back on DB Manager, launch the plugin and you should not get the error: sys.path is being honored, and the plugin is imported from build/output/python/plugins staged area, as expected.

While the current patch works, it requires core plugins to not request QgsApplication::pkgDataPath() when the plugin loads. A better solution is needed.

#11 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

  • Assignee set to Sandro Santilli
  • % Done changed from 80 to 100

Sextante loads as of 6ca7ea987d86251ee051b7d7ee974a1e9d78bd8f
I think this ticket could be closed, and Larry's findings about plugins restore should be in a separate ticket.

#12 Updated by Sandro Santilli about 12 years ago

Larry, did you file a ticket for the plugin restore issue ?

#13 Updated by Larry Shaffer about 12 years ago

Sandro Santilli wrote:

Larry, did you file a ticket for the plugin restore issue ?

Finally. :^)

See issue #6913

#14 Updated by Jürgen Fischer over 10 years ago

  • Target version changed from Version 2.0.0 to Future Release - Lower Priority

#15 Updated by Sandro Santilli over 10 years ago

  • Status changed from Feedback to Closed

Given confirmation of Larry this ticket can be closed. Python plugins are loaded fine from build dir.

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