Getting django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: Error loading MySQLdb module, while trying to perform the first migration - mysql

Question

I am setting up a Django backend for my application. I am trying to change the default sqlite database to mysql. While performing the first migration, I get the following error:
Traceback (most recent call last): File
"/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py",
line 15, in
import MySQLdb as Database File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/MySQLdb/init.py",
line 18, in
import _mysql ImportError: dlopen(/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/_mysql.cpython-36m-darwin.so,
2): Library not loaded: #rpath/libmysqlclient.21.dylib Referenced
from:
/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/_mysql.cpython-36m-darwin.so
Reason: image not found
The above exception was the direct cause of the following exception:
Traceback (most recent call last): File "manage.py", line 15, in
execute_from_command_line(sys.argv) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/core/management/init.py",
line 381, in execute_from_command_line
utility.execute() File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/core/management/init.py",
line 357, in execute
django.setup() File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/init.py",
line 24, in setup
apps.populate(settings.INSTALLED_APPS) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/apps/registry.py",
line 112, in populate
app_config.import_models() File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/apps/config.py",
line 198, in import_models
self.models_module = import_module(models_module_name) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/importlib/init.py",
line 126, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level) File "", line 994, in _gcd_import File
"", line 971, in _find_and_load File
"", line 955, in _find_and_load_unlocked
File "", line 665, in _load_unlocked
File "", line 678, in
exec_module File "", line 219, in
_call_with_frames_removed File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/models.py",
line 2, in
from django.contrib.auth.base_user import AbstractBaseUser, BaseUserManager File
"/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/base_user.py",
line 47, in
class AbstractBaseUser(models.Model): File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py",
line 101, in new
new_class.add_to_class('_meta', Options(meta, app_label)) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py",
line 305, in add_to_class
value.contribute_to_class(cls, name) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/models/options.py",
line 203, in contribute_to_class
self.db_table = truncate_name(self.db_table, connection.ops.max_name_length()) File
"/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/init.py",
line 33, in getattr
return getattr(connections[DEFAULT_DB_ALIAS], item) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/utils.py",
line 202, in getitem
backend = load_backend(db['ENGINE']) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/utils.py",
line 110, in load_backend
return import_module('%s.base' % backend_name) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/importlib/init.py",
line 126, in import_module
return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level) File "/Users/user1/djangoApp/djangoProject/env/lib/python3.6/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py",
line 20, in
) from err django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: Error loading MySQLdb module.
OS:macOS Mojave
Framework: Django
I am using a virtualenv
I have already installed "mysqlclient" using the command
pip3 install mysqlclient
I have verified that the mysqlclient folder exists under the installed location.
I have the mysql server up and running.
I have tried many available solutions online but nothing works
To reproduce:
1 - Start a django project using
"django-admin startproject djangoApp"
2 - Install and start the mysql server.
3 - Update the settings.py file of the entry application to the following
DATABASES = {
'default': {
'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
'NAME': 'djangoApp',
'USER': 'root',
'PASSWORD': 'password',
'HOST': 'localhost',
'PORT': ''
}
}
4 - Now try to migrate using
python manage.py migrate
Expected:The migration should be successful
Actual:Migration fails with the given error
I am new to Django

Answer 1

I needed to symlink the lib files to the /usr/local/lib directory.
Fourth answer in the link worked for me
Thank you #Mohit Harshan #Daniel Rosema for taking time out to help me