Mac OS + MySQL-python-1.2.3: ImportError | Library not loaded | libmysqlclient.16.dylib

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Jeff Fitzsimons

Attempting to get Python communicating with MySQL via MySQLdb on OS X resulted in the following error when I tried to import MySQLdb:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./dbtest.py", line 3, in 
    import MySQLdb
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/MySQLdb/__init__.py", line 19, in 
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/_mysql.py", line 7, in 
  File "build/bdist.macosx-10.6-universal/egg/_mysql.py", line 6, in __bootstrap__
ImportError: dlopen(/Users/fitzsimj/.python-eggs/MySQL_python-1.2.3-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg-tmp/_mysql.so, 2): Library not loaded: libmysqlclient.16.dylib
  Referenced from: /Users/fitzsimj/.python-eggs/MySQL_python-1.2.3-py2.6-macosx-10.6-universal.egg-tmp/_mysql.so
  Reason: image not found

I eventually found a solution mentioned here. I added the following line to /etc/bashrc:

export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/mysql/lib/

There is another solution suggested, using install_name_tool. That approach involves Ruby, which I’m not using.

About Jeff Fitzsimons

Jeff Fitzsimons is a software engineer in the California Bay Area. Technical specialties include C++, Win32, and multithreading. Personal interests include rock climbing, cycling, motorcycles, and photography.
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7 Responses to Mac OS + MySQL-python-1.2.3: ImportError | Library not loaded | libmysqlclient.16.dylib

  1. Freddy V says:
    February 25, 2011 at 10:54 am

    EXCELLENT!!! That was the last piece of the puzzle for me to get my database to begin importing!!! Thank you very much!

  2. Kamal says:
    May 9, 2011 at 2:46 pm

    Thanks for the tip! That was the last piece of the puzzle for me too. I’m running Mac OS 10.7.x on a 64-bit MacBook Pro and built MySQL-python-1.2.3 from source. (I also had to set ARCHFLAGS=’-arch x86_64′)

  3. Zachary Jones says:
    July 7, 2011 at 1:16 pm

    Thank you so much. I ran into this trying to setup a Django environment on a OS X Lion Preview build.

  4. joyandrob says:
    November 5, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Thanks so much! Just what I needed :^)

  5. Fredrik says:
    December 16, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    You’re my hero!

  6. Jake A. Smith says:
    November 21, 2012 at 9:50 pm

    Thanks! Exactly what I needed, but how on earth did you figure this out?

  7. Will Grateful Redington says:
    December 18, 2014 at 5:55 pm

    I love you. I mean it. Thanks.

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