Packaging Non-Python Files in a Python Library

Question

I'm trying to build a Python package for this project that includes the .json files in /fixtures and the *.html files in /templates. When I run the packaging script based off my setup.py, it says it should include those folders in the MANIFEST it generates, but the output just says it's hard-linking them and when I try to install via pip, it dies on the following:

Downloading/unpacking bluetrain
 Running setup.py egg_info for package bluetrain
 error: package directory 'bluetrain/fixtures' does not exist
 Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
 running egg_info
writing pip-egg-info/bluetrain.egg-info/PKG-INFO
writing top-level names to pip-egg-info/bluetrain.egg-info/top_level.txt
writing dependency_links to pip-egg-info/bluetrain.egg-info/dependency_links.txt
warning: manifest_maker: standard file '-c' not found
error: package directory 'bluetrain/fixtures' does not exist

EDIT: It looks like this was an issue with legacy crud that built up in the virtualenv I was installing succeeding versions of the package into. Trying a clean virtualenv fixed the issue.

• Savir: I gave up for that long time ago... Now I use .deb packages to deploy my code (just saying)
• bmu: as this is still an open question I think you should answer it with your edit or vote to close it.
• Tom: Done. I was going to close it but then realized it might be an aid to people as dim as I am.

Answer 1

Fixed this issue by creating a clean virtualenv and trying to build from there. It appears the constant build/ rebuild cycle in the original environment left legacy files behind that were stopping things from working as intended.