[Bug 1869115] [NEW] python sys.path different per user account - ImportError no module named (Focal)

[OwN]

Public bug reported:

In Ubuntu 20.04, python scripts executed by other users or users that
cannot log in (/usr/sbin/nologin as their shell) do NOT work when
importing modules that have been installed via python packages via apt
or pip due to sys.path returning different values.

For example, I have a PAM python script that is used for authentication,
and when it is run, it fails because it cannot find some of the modules
it needs.

Further investigation shows that my current logged in user (running the
script via the terminal) has a sys.path value of:

/current/directory/user/is/in
/usr/lib/python2.7
/usr/lib/python2.7/plat-x86_64-linux-gnu
/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-tk
/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-old
/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload
/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages

When I run the same script with another user:

/usr/lib/python2.7 
/usr/lib/python2.7/plat-x86_64-linux-gnu
/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-tk 
/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-old 
/usr/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload

Two critical paths are missing for this user!  They are:

/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages

Why are these two paths not included for this particular user?

I don't have this problem in older versions of Ubuntu.  The same python
script works in 18.04, but fails in 20.04.

** Affects: python2.7 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: path python sys

** Summary changed:

- python sys.path different per user account -  no module named
+ python sys.path different per user account - ImportError no module named

** Summary changed:

- python sys.path different per user account - ImportError no module named
+ python sys.path different per user account - ImportError no module named (Focal)

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1869115

Title:
  python sys.path different per user account - ImportError no module
  named (Focal)

Status in python2.7 package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  In Ubuntu 20.04, python scripts executed by other users or users that
  cannot log in (/usr/sbin/nologin as their shell) do NOT work when
  importing modules that have been installed via python packages via apt
  or pip due to sys.path returning different values.

  For example, I have a PAM python script that is used for
  authentication, and when it is run, it fails because it cannot find
  some of the modules it needs.

  Further investigation shows that my current logged in user (running
  the script via the terminal) has a sys.path value of:

  /current/directory/user/is/in
  /usr/lib/python2.7
  /usr/lib/python2.7/plat-x86_64-linux-gnu
  /usr/lib/python2.7/lib-tk
  /usr/lib/python2.7/lib-old
  /usr/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload
  /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
  /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages

  When I run the same script with another user:

  /usr/lib/python2.7 
  /usr/lib/python2.7/plat-x86_64-linux-gnu
  /usr/lib/python2.7/lib-tk 
  /usr/lib/python2.7/lib-old 
  /usr/lib/python2.7/lib-dynload

  Two critical paths are missing for this user!  They are:

  /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages
  /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages

  Why are these two paths not included for this particular user?

  I don't have this problem in older versions of Ubuntu.  The same
  python script works in 18.04, but fails in 20.04.

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