py-basemap broken again #8716
Description
Back Story
py-basemap (at least with Python3) is problematic because it uses namespace packages. This problem was solved in #1964 with a post-install patch. Since then, #3835 came up with a different solution that did not need the post-install patch. And we all seemed to agree at the time it was a good and elegant solution.
The Problem
Unfortunately... the original problem from #1964 has reared its ugly head again:
[rpfische@gs611-gibbs stieglitz]$ python3 -c 'from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1 import make_axes_locatable'
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
ImportError: No module named 'mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1'
[rpfische@gs611-gibbs stieglitz]$ python3 -c 'import mpl_toolkits.basemap'
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
File "/home2/rpfische/spack6/opt/spack/linux-centos7-x86_64/gcc-4.9.3/py-basemap-1.0.7-fpu2nxnadqokntqdzweoinytf6wuu5bx/lib/python3.5/site-packages/mpl_toolkits/basemap/__init__.py", line 31, in <module>
from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1 import make_axes_locatable
ImportError: No module named 'mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1'
[rpfische@gs611-gibbs stieglitz]$ python3 --version
Python 3.5.2
Note that I'm running Python by module loading a bunch of Spack-generated modules, rather than using spack activate.
What To Do?
Any ideas on a way forward? From my local point of view, it looks like the patch from #1964 actually is required, at least in some cases.