@Mpaa can this python package not be installed in a python virtualenv local to the tool?

I think in the long term, if pywikibot starts to prefer pymysql as the solution to access databases, having a global pymysql install can make a less steep learning curve. Also considering the number of users that will need it, why not? After all, we even ported python2 oursql to aptly (T51063)

10:35:11 0 ✓ zhuyifei1999@tools-bastion-02: ~$ apt-cache search 'oursql|pymysql|mysqldb'
python-mysqldb - Python interface to MySQL
python-mysqldb-dbg - Python interface to MySQL (debug extension)
bibus - bibliographic database
mysql-utilities - collection of scripts for managing MySQL servers
python-oursql - MySQL bindings for python.
python-pymysql - Pure-Python MySQL driver - Python 2.x
python3-pymysql - Pure-Python MySQL Driver - Python 3.x
10:35:45 0 ✓ zhuyifei1999@tools-bastion-02: ~$ apt-cache policy python-mysqldb python-oursql python{,3}-pymysql
python-mysqldb:
  Installed: 1.2.3-2ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1.2.3-2ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1.2.3-2ubuntu1 0
        500 http://nova.clouds.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ trusty/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
python-oursql:
  Installed: 0.9.3.1-1
  Candidate: 0.9.3.1-1
  Version table:
 *** 0.9.3.1-1 0
       1500 http://tools-services-01.tools.eqiad.wmflabs/repo/ trusty-tools/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
python-pymysql:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.6.2-2
  Version table:
     0.6.2-2 0
       1001 http://apt.wikimedia.org/wikimedia/ trusty-wikimedia/universe amd64 Packages
python3-pymysql:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 0.7.2-1
  Version table:
     0.7.2-1 0
       1001 http://apt.wikimedia.org/wikimedia/ trusty-wikimedia/universe amd64 Packages

And we don't have a global python 3 solution to access the databases.

Though, it would be better if we can get PAWS to work better...

@bd808, zhuyifei1999 answered for me.

Change 416874 had a related patch set uploaded (by Zhuyifei1999; owner: Zhuyifei1999):
[operations/puppet@production] toollabs: install python{,3}-pymysql on exec_environ

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/416874

In T189052#4029279, @chasemp wrote:

Typically we recommend https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Toolforge/FAQ#My_Tool_requires_a_package_that_is_not_currently_installed_in_Toolforge._How_can_I_add_it?

I tried this workaround, but I could not manage to run any Pywikibot script from venv (File not found error).

Worked for me.
Can you list what you did and what error you get?

Change 416874 merged by Andrew Bogott:
[operations/puppet@production] toollabs: install python{,3}-pymysql on exec_environ

https://gerrit.wikimedia.org/r/416874

@Mpaa I followed the manual here (and also other similar manuals to work with venv in Toollabs). When calling Pywikibot from venv shell, it errored like this: File pwb.py not found in /shared/pywikibot/core/ directory or something similar. No way how to run any Pywikibot script from inside the venv shell worked for me.

OK, then it worked as I had a local 'core' copy, maybe?

This task is only about Toolforge, no?

I meant a local 'core' in mpaa@tools-bastion-03:~$

I used local core folders and files symlinks to the shared core. But I'm not sure why this should matter?