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Asked: 2026-05-27T07:13:30+00:00

I’m trying to install MySQLdb with Python 2.7. The error I’m getting looks like

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I’m trying to install MySQLdb with Python 2.7. The error I’m getting looks like this:

gcc -pthread -fno-strict-aliasing -g -O2 -DNDEBUG -g -fwrapv -O3 -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -fPIC -Dversion_info=(1,2,3,'final',0) -D__version__=1.2.3 -I/usr/include/mysql -I/opt/python2.7/include/python2.7 -c _mysql.c -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/_mysql.o -g -pipe -Wp,-D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -fexceptions -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -m64
gcc -pthread -shared build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/_mysql.o -L/usr/lib64/mysql -L. -lmysqlclient_r -lz -lpthread -lcrypt -lnsl -lm -lpthread -lmygcc -lpython2.7 -o build/lib.linux-x86_64-2.7/_mysql.so
/usr/bin/ld: cannot find -lpython2.7
collect2: ld returned 1 exit status
error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1

Clearly, it can’t find Python 2.7. Looking in /usr/bin I see:

python*
python2@
python2.4*
python2.7@

What does the @ symbol mean? Can anyone advise a remedy to the error?

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1 Answer

  1. Editorial Team

    It can’t find the Python library, not the executable. Run locate libpython2.7.a to see where your Python library is located, and add it to the library path (e.g. if it is in /opt/python2.7/lib, you want to call LDFLAGS="-L/opt/python2.7/lib" make).

    The @ symbol means the file is a symbolic link; * means it’s executable (these are produced by ls -F, which you might have as an alias).

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