Where to install new Python libraries/modules?

[quinnsimmons]

I'm really new to programming with the Pi, and I'm trying to set up the ADS1015 ADC using the following guide: http://openlabtools.eng.cam.ac.uk/Resou ... i_ADS1115/.
In section 7, I'm told to change directories to "Documents" and to install the ADS1X15 libraries there. But, when I tried this before, the Pi could not find these libraries/modules, so where should I install them so that when I use the "import" command in Python, they can be found? I'm using Raspbian as my OS. Thanks!

[DirkS]

What I tend to do is copy the module(s) I need to the directory where my script is.
There are other ways e.g. extending the environment var PYTHONPATH. It works the same as the standard 'PATH' environment variable.
You can change this on the command line, or .bashrc or any other appropriate place.
For example:

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PYTHONPATH=$PYTHONPATH:/home/pi/mymodules 

adds /home/pi/mymodules to the search path.
More info on where and how python looks for modules: https://docs.python.org/2/tutorial/modu ... earch-path

Gr.
Dirk.

[Douglas6]

I like to put my common modules in /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/ (I'm the admin, I can do that) which is typically where a 'sudo apt-get install' puts 'em. No messing with PYTHONPATH. Adjust for your Python version, of course.

[quinnsimmons]

Ok, I think I'll put them in with the Python libraries just to keep things simple; both are great tips, though. So my question now is, since the library/module files (http://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit-Ras ... n-Code.git) are in their own folders, do I need to copy and paste the contents of each individual folder into the /usr/local/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/ directory? Or is it sufficient to simply paste each folder into that directory? Thanks again!

[Douglas6]

Folders in the path will be searched recursively.

[paddyg]

I put this in

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import sys
sys.path.insert(1, '/home/pi/xyz')
import xyz

The advantage is that you can also install the official package 'automatically' (pip/setup.py install etc) without running into trouble hacking dist-packages or PYTHONPATH. By inserting at position 1, rather than appending, the version you have in /home/pi/xyz (latest developments brought in using 'git clone https://github.com/xyz/xyx.git' say) will be picked in preference to the 'installed' version from dist-packages. You can take the line out to revert to the installed version.