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Fix ModuleNotFoundError: No Module Named Pandas Linux Mint

Resolve ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pandas' on Linux Mint despite pip installation. Fix Python interpreter mismatch, virtual envs, pip issues, and Linux-specific quirks with step-by-step commands.

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ModuleNotFoundError: No module named ‘pandas’ on Linux Mint despite installation via pip and software manager

After switching from Windows 10 to Linux Mint and pulling git projects, Python imports fail for pandas. tkinter was fixed by installing via the Linux Mint software center, but pandas still shows ModuleNotFoundError even though pip list includes it and interpreter settings indicate availability.

Import statements:

python
import tkinter as tk
import pandas as pd
from tkinter import ttk
from tkinter import tix
from file_selection import FileSelect
from option_selection import PrefixOptions
from duplicate_correction import DuplicateCorrection
from coa_mapping import CoaConfigure
from data_export import DataExport

Tried pip vs. software center installations, global vs. virtual environment setups. How to resolve pandas import error on Linux Mint when module appears installed?

ModuleNotFoundError pandas Linux Mint usually means the Python interpreter running your script isn’t the one where pip put pandas. Confirm the exact executable (sys.executable) and use python3 -m pip install pandas (or install inside your project’s virtual environment); avoid relying on a bare pip which can point to a different Python. If you run the script with sudo, from an IDE, or with a different Python version, reinstall pandas into that same interpreter or activate the correct venv.

Contents

Diagnose ModuleNotFoundError: pandas on Linux Mint

You saw ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pandas' even though pip list shows pandas — that’s a classic interpreter / environment mismatch. Pip is just a front-end for a particular Python installation; if your script uses a different Python (or runs under sudo, an IDE-managed interpreter, or a system service), Python won’t find the package you installed with another pip.

Quick checks to run now:

  • From the same shell where pip list reported pandas run:
  • python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.executable); print(sys.version)"
  • python3 -m pip --version
  • python3 -m pip show pandas
  • Try import directly with that interpreter:
  • python3 -c "import pandas as pd; print(pd.__version__, pd.__file__)"

If python3 -m pip show pandas shows a location like /home/you/.local/lib/python3.x/site-packages but sys.executable in the script is /usr/bin/python3.11 (or vice versa), they’re different installs. The official pandas install docs explain how Python searches for packages and why this mismatch happens: https://pandas.pydata.org/docs/getting_started/install.html. GeeksforGeeks also has a short checklist for this error which matches these checks: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/python/how-to-fix-no-module-named-pandas/.

Confirm Python interpreter and pip mapping (resolve ModuleNotFoundError pandas)

You want certainty about “which pip talks to which python.” Use -m pip to tie pip to a specific interpreter — that avoids ambiguity.

Commands and what they tell you:

  • which python3 — path to the default python3 binary you invoke.
  • python3 --version — the Python version.
  • python3 -m pip --version — shows pip location and which Python it belongs to.
  • python3 -m pip list | grep pandas — confirms pandas is installed for that python.
  • python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.executable); print('\\n'.join(sys.path))" — shows where that Python will search for modules.
  • python3 -c "import importlib.util; print(importlib.util.find_spec('pandas'))" — shows whether Python can locate pandas.

If your script is launched with a shebang (#!) or via an IDE, check that the interpreter there matches which python3. For example, add a temporary debug line to your script:

python
import sys
print("PYTHON:", sys.executable)
print("PATHS:", sys.path[:6])

Run the script the same way you normally do and compare sys.executable to the which python3 you used when installing pandas. If they differ, that’s the root cause.

For a Linux Mint-specific report of similar behavior and fixes, see this Stack Overflow thread about installing pandas on Linux Mint: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/58529242/problem-in-installing-pandas-in-linux-mint.

Reinstall pandas into the correct environment

Once you’ve identified the interpreter you actually use, install pandas explicitly for it.

System-wide Python (not recommended unless you know why):

bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3-pip # if pip3 is missing
sudo python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
sudo python3 -m pip install pandas

User-local install (no sudo; installs to ~/.local):

bash
python3 -m pip install --user --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
python3 -m pip install --user pandas

Virtual environment (recommended for projects):

bash
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install pandas
python -c "import pandas as pd; print(pd.__version__)"

Conda/Miniconda:

bash
conda create -n myenv python=3.11
conda activate myenv
conda install pandas

Notes:

  • Always prefer python3 -m pip install ... so pip runs under that python3 executable.
  • If you must use sudo, prefer sudo -H python3 -m pip install pandas so the root home is used for --user installs if relevant. Still, virtualenv is cleaner.

For background on why python -m pip is safer than running pip directly and more install tips, see this practical guide: https://blog.finxter.com/how-to-fix-importerror-no-module-named-pandas/.

Virtual environments and IDE settings (VSCode / PyCharm)

IDEs can hide which interpreter your code actually runs under. You might see pandas listed in the IDE settings but the launched process could be different.

Checklist for common editors:

  • VSCode: choose the interpreter (bottom-right or Command Palette → Python: Select Interpreter). Open a new integrated terminal after switching and run python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)".
  • PyCharm: set Project Interpreter (File → Settings → Project → Python Interpreter) and ensure your run configuration uses that interpreter.
  • If running via a launcher or systemd service, those processes may use a different user or PATH; supply full interpreter path in the service file.

Also check for name collisions: if your project contains a file or folder named pandas.py or a directory pandas/, Python will try to import that local name instead of the real package and fail. Run in your project root:

bash
ls -1 | grep -E '^pandas(.py|$)'

If anything shows up, rename it.

Permissions, sudo and apt quirks on Linux Mint

A few Mint-specific gotchas:

  • Installing packages via the Software Center / apt (for example python3-pandas) can result in a different package location or older version than pip; apt packages are tied to the system Python version that Mint provides. You can install the distro package with:
  • sudo apt install python3-pandas
  • But apt versions may lag; pip/conda often gives newer releases.
  • Installing with pip install --user writes to ~/.local/lib/.... If you then run the script with sudo, the root account won’t see your user packages.
  • If you have multiple Python versions from deadsnakes, pyenv or Anaconda, apt’s python3 may point to one version while your project uses another.

When in doubt, pick one consistent approach: virtualenv (project-local), Conda environment, or system-wide apt (if you accept older versions). Avoid mixing apt-managed Python packages and pip-managed ones for the same interpreter unless you know the dependency implications.

Linux Mint forum threads and user reports show these same symptoms and solutions (virtualenv or using python3 -m pip): https://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.php?t=406209.

Quick troubleshooting checklist and commands

Follow this ordered checklist and paste outputs (if you ask for follow-up):

  1. From the terminal you use to run the script:
  • which python3
  • python3 --version
  • python3 -m pip --version
  • python3 -m pip show pandas
  1. Try import from that interpreter:
  • python3 -c "import pandas as pd; print(pd.__version__, pd.__file__)"
  1. If import fails but pip show lists pandas, inspect sys.executable inside your script:
  • Add at top of script:
python
import sys
print("EXE:", sys.executable)
print("PATH[0]:", sys.path[0])
  • Run the script the usual way and compare executables.
  1. If mismatch, reinstall to the correct Python:
  • python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
  • python3 -m pip install --force-reinstall pandas
  1. If you prefer isolated env:
bash
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install pandas
  1. Check for local file name collisions: ls | grep -E '^pandas(.py|$)'.
  2. If running under sudo: either avoid sudo or install system-wide: sudo -H python3 -m pip install pandas.
  3. If nothing helps, capture:
  • output of python3 -c "import sys, pprint; pprint.pprint({'exe':sys.executable, 'path':sys.path[:10]})"
  • output of python3 -m pip show pandas

If you want, paste the above outputs here and I’ll point to the exact mismatch.

Sources

Conclusion

ModuleNotFoundError pandas Linux Mint almost always boils down to “different Python than the one you installed pandas into.” Confirm the interpreter with sys.executable, use python3 -m pip install pandas (or create and activate a virtualenv), and check for local filename collisions or sudo/system-user differences. Do those steps and the import will work — if it still doesn’t, paste the python3 -m pip show pandas and python3 -c "import sys; print(sys.executable); print(sys.path[:6])" outputs and I’ll help pinpoint the mismatch.

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Fix ModuleNotFoundError: No Module Named Pandas Linux Mint