"Module object has no attribute run" error in mssql-conf setup using Python module

This article helps you to resolve an error that occurs when you try to run mssql-conf setup by using the Python module. This article also describes the Python requirements for Microsoft SQL Server on Linux, and provides a workaround if you're using an early Python version when you try to configure SQL Server on Linux.

Applies to: SQL Server 2019 on Linux

Symptoms

When you try to run mssql-conf setup after you install Microsoft SQL Server 2019, you receive a "module object has no attribute run" error message if you're using a Python version that's earlier than 3.5.

Consider the following scenarios:

You install SQL Server on Linux by following the steps in Installation guidance for SQL Server on Linux.
You try to run /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup. However, you experience a module dependency:

testslesvm2:~ # /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/mssql/bin/../lib/mssql-conf/mssql-conf.py", line 17, in <module>
    import mssqlad
  File "/opt/mssql/lib/mssql-conf/mssqlad.py", line 15, in <module>
    import pyadutil
  File "/opt/mssql/lib/mssql-conf/pyadutil.py", line 6, in <module>
    import typing
ImportError: No module named 'typing'

You might also receive the following error message even after you fix the "typing" module dependency issue:

testslesvm2:~ # /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup
Warning: could not create log file for mssql-conf at /var/opt/mssql/log/mssql-conf/mssql-conf.log.
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/opt/mssql/bin/../lib/mssql-conf/mssql-conf.py", line 597, in <module>
    main()
  File "/opt/mssql/bin/../lib/mssql-conf/mssql-conf.py", line 593, in main
    processCommands()
  File "/opt/mssql/bin/../lib/mssql-conf/mssql-conf.py", line 310, in processCommands
    COMMAND_TABLE[args.which]()
  File "/opt/mssql/bin/../lib/mssql-conf/mssql-conf.py", line 93, in handleSetup
    mssqlconfhelper.setupSqlServer(eulaAccepted, noprompt=args.noprompt)
  File "/opt/mssql/lib/mssql-conf/mssqlconfhelper.py", line 964, in setupSqlServer
    if not checkInstall():
  File "/opt/mssql/lib/mssql-conf/mssqlconfhelper.py", line 934, in checkInstall
    return runScript(checkInstallScript, runAsRoot) == 0
  File "/opt/mssql/lib/mssql-conf/mssqlconfhelper.py", line 915, in runScript
    process = subprocess.run([pathToScript], stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
AttributeError: 'module' object has no attribute 'run'

Note

The mssql-conf setup error can occur on systems on which the Microsoft SQL Server on Linux supported platform (RHEL, SLES, Ubuntu) includes Python 3 or another version that is earlier than 3.5. For more information about SQL Server on Linux-supported platforms, see Supported platform.

Cause

The error occurs because SQL Server 2019 and mssql-conf code rely on the Python 3.5+ functions.

Workaround

You have two options to work around this issue:

Upgrade Python 3 to 3.5 or a later version. Set the system so that when you run the /usr/bin/env python3 -V command, it points to Python 3.5 or 3.5+.

Note: We have observed that some system functions that rely on Python versions that are earlier than 3.5 stop working after this upgrade. To avoid this problem, use the next option.
Create a symlink in your session that points Python 3 to Python 3.5 or 3.5+, and then run the mssql-conf commands to configure SQL Server. For more information, see the next section.

Create symlink (soft link) of Python 3

Follow these steps to create a session-specific symlink in which Python 3 points to Python 3.5 or a later version, and then run the mssql-conf setup.

Install Python 3.5 or a later version. In this example, install Python 3.6:
```
zypper in python36
```

Install SQL Server.

sudo zypper addrepo -fc https://packages.microsoft.com/config/sles/12/mssql-server-2019.repo
sudo zypper --gpg-auto-import-keys refresh
sudo rpm --import https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc
sudo zypper install -y mssql-server

Switch to the root user, create the symlink in any folder, and then add the current path to $PATH. For example, the /usr/bin/env python3 -V symlink points to Python 3.6 instead of Python 3.4, as shown in the following code snippet:

$sudo su
testslesvm2:~ #:> sudo ln -s /usr/bin/python3.6 python3
testslesvm2:~ # > PATH=$(pwd):$PATH
testslesvm2:~ # ll
total 4
-rw------- 1 root root 982 Feb  9 20:03 .bash_history
drwx------ 2 root root 111 Jan 26 08:50 .gnupg
drwx------ 2 root root  29 Feb  9 19:27 .ssh
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root   6 Jun 27  2017 bin
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  18 Feb  9 19:47 python3 -> /usr/bin/python3.6
testslesvm2:~ # /usr/bin/env python3 -V
Python 3.6.15

Run the mssql-conf setup or any other mssql-conf-based commands:
```
/opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup
```
If you want to run the mssql-conf command in future to configure SQL Server, switch to the root user, and then run the PATH=$(pwd):$PATH command to add the current path to the $PATH environment variable. Then, run the mssql-conf command, as shown in step 4.

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Last updated on 2023-06-20