apache fails to import from correct PYTHONPATH

Question

The situation is like this:

in my httpd.conf, I have

SetEnv PYTHONPATH /Users/<MY_NAME_>/PATH_TO/py3

my Python script in a browser runs, prints something like a header, and then I print from it the environment like
```
[(x, os.environ [x]) for x in os.environ if "PY" in x]
```

I can see this path to my Python stuff printed. It is in the Apache environment.

However the next line in my script, which is:

from my_module import * # module **is** in the directory which is in PYTHONPATH

gives an error:

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '....'

This doesn't make sense to me.

This is under macOS 13.6.3 Ventura.

But then it should give a different error message: CannotRunModule instead of ModuleNotFoundError? Right? Our World is so confusing. — Vlad K.
– Vlad K., Commented Oct 25 at 19:40
can you import your module like that normally? PYTHONPATH=foo python3 -c 'from my_module import *' (and did you mean to respond to yourself?) — ti7
– ti7, Commented Oct 25 at 20:48

Swati · Accepted Answer · 2025-10-26 06:33:55Z

0

Set the Python path inside Apache’s WSGI configuration, e.g.:

WSGIPythonPath /Users/<MY_NAME_>/PATH_TO/py3

or in your <VirtualHost>:

WSGIApplicationGroup %{GLOBAL}
WSGIDaemonProcess myapp python-path=/Users/<MY_NAME_>/PATH_TO/py3
WSGIProcessGroup myapp

answered Oct 26 at 6:33

Swati

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2 Comments

Vlad K. Oct 27 at 10:37

Thank you but I don't use WSGI. I use Options +ExecCGI AddHandler cgi-script .py under <Directory "my_document_root"> and also LoadModule cgi_module libexec/apache2/mod_cgi.so

Vlad K. Oct 27 at 10:44

Cannot format my comment properly; sorry.

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