have_directory_for_build AssertionError when installing with --no-cache-dir (19.0.1)

[cjerdonek]

• pip version: 19.0.1

With the 19.0.1 release, some people are still reporting an AssertionError when installing with --no-cache-dir similar to the one in #6158. This issue is for the 19.0.1-specific issue as it is narrower in scope.

Here are details for a couple reports: #6158 (comment) and #6158 (comment)

The traceback looks like this:

Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/mnt/jenkins/workspace/venv/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py", line 176, in main
    status = self.run(options, args)
  File "/mnt/jenkins/workspace/venv/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/commands/install.py", line 346, in run
    session=session, autobuilding=True
  File "/mnt/jenkins/workspace/venv/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/wheel.py", line 886, in build
    assert have_directory_for_build
AssertionError

Some work-arounds (feel free to add to the list):

• Use pip version 18.1.
• Pass --no-use-pep517 in your invocation.
• See issue assertion when using --no-cache-dir in 19.0 #6158 for some other possibilities.

[pradyunsg]

ISTM this is only happening on Alpine Linux -- could someone confirm whether that is the case?

[vinayan3]

@pradyunsg I had problems as well. Please see my dup issue #6192

[dknepprath]

Same but Python 3.7

Exception:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py", line 176, in main
    status = self.run(options, args)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/commands/install.py", line 346, in run
    session=session, autobuilding=True
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/wheel.py", line 886, in build
    assert have_directory_for_build
AssertionError

Reverting to pip 18.1 worked for me.

[hrw]

ISTM this is only happening on Alpine Linux -- could someone confirm whether that is the case?

debian:stretch-backports official image:

INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:Traceback (most recent call last):
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:  File "/var/lib/kolla/venv/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/cli/base_command.py", line 176, in main
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:    status = self.run(options, args)
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:  File "/var/lib/kolla/venv/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/commands/install.py", line 346, in run
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:    session=session, autobuilding=True
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:  File "/var/lib/kolla/venv/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip/_internal/wheel.py", line 886, in build
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:    assert have_directory_for_build
INFO:kolla.common.utils.openstack-base:AssertionError

[gaborbernat]

@pfmoore I ran into this myself, basically just passing --no-cache breaks pip when discovering and installing a PEP-517 package. We need either to fallback to disable PEP-517 build, or instead use the TMPDIR env var.

Hitting this from jython that does not support pip cache mechanism inside virtualenv.

[eliasbrange]

Easily reproducable in docker:

# Same for 3.5.6, 3.6.8, etc.
FROM python:3.7.2-alpine

RUN pip3 install -U pip

RUN pip3 install --no-cache-dir pendulum