Python AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'SSL_ST_INIT'

Question

A Python script of mine is failing with:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File \"./inspect_sheet.py\", line 21, in 
    main()
  File \"./i         


        

Answer 1

I was seeing similar python stack dump on the console of my Ubuntu 16.04 VM when I tried ssh into the VM.

SSL_ST_INIT = _lib.SSL_ST_INIT
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'SSL_ST_INIT'

pip reported that pyopenssl was not installed.

I had to do this instead:

sudo apt install --reinstall python-openssl

Answer 2

In my case, the problem was that the package was installed in root directories, and I was executing the script which asked for pyopenssl with my Linux user forvas. And that user can't use the libraries installed in root.

So first I had to remove the package with aptitude or apt-get.

sudo aptitude purge python-openssl

Therefore, I had to install the package again, but taking into account the user who is executing the script which is asking for the library. Take a look to where the library is installed depending on the Linux user and the argument --user of pip.

Case 1

forvas@server:$ pip install pyopenssl

Could not install packages due to an EnvironmentError:

[Errno 13] Permission denied: '/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/OpenSSL'

Consider using the --user option or check the permissions.

Case 2

forvas@server:$ sudo pip install pyopenssl

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

/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pyOpenSSL-17.5.0.dist-info/*

Case 3

forvas@server:$ sudo pip install --user pyopenssl

/home/forvas/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/OpenSSL/*

/home/forvas/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pyOpenSSL-17.5.0.dist-info/*

Case 4

root@server:$ pip install pyopenssl

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

/usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/pyOpenSSL-17.5.0.dist-info/*

Case 5

root@server:$ pip install --user pyopenssl

/root/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/OpenSSL/*

/root/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pyOpenSSL-17.5.0.dist-info/*

Conclusion

My problem was that the library was installed in the directories of the case 5.

Solution

• Uninstalling the package.

• As I'm executing the script with Linux user forvas, I was able to reinstall the package rightly with the options 2 or 4 (in which the library is available for all Linux users) or more accurate, the option 3 (in which library is only available for Linux user forvas).