:date: 2018-08-04

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Saturday, August 4, 2018
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Python can import it, but django-admin can't
============================================

For the :ref:`user.install` page
I tried to run a demo project (:mod:`lino_book.projects.min1`) using
`django-admin
<https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.0/ref/django-admin/>`__,
i.e. without needing a :xfile:`manage.py` file::

    $ go min1
    $ python -c "import settings.demo"

Works perfectly. But then::

    $ django-admin runserver --settings settings.demo
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "/py27/bin/django-admin", line 11, in <module>
        sys.exit(execute_from_command_line())
      File "/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py", line 364, in execute_from_command_line
        utility.execute()
      File "/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py", line 308, in execute
        settings.INSTALLED_APPS
      File "/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/conf/__init__.py", line 56, in __getattr__
        self._setup(name)
      File "/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/conf/__init__.py", line 41, in _setup
        self._wrapped = Settings(settings_module)
      File "/py27/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/django/conf/__init__.py", line 110, in __init__
        mod = importlib.import_module(self.SETTINGS_MODULE)
      File "/usr/lib/python2.7/importlib/__init__.py", line 37, in import_module
        __import__(name)
    ImportError: No module named settings.demo
  
Strange...

Here is the same problem using newest Django and without Lino.

In an empty directory I create a very minimal :file:`settings.py` with
the following content::

    INSTALLED_APPS = []
    DEBUG = True

I install and activate a fresh environment with a Django::

    $ virtualenv -p3 env
    $ . env/bin/activate
    $ pip install django

Now I am surprised that the following fails::

    $ django-admin check --settings settings
    Traceback (most recent call last):
    ...
    ImportError: No module named 'settings'

This is strange because Python can import my :file:`settings.py`
without problem::

    $ python -m settings
    $ python -c "import settings"