NameError: name '_mysql' is not defined - Django tailwind

Question

When I run python manage.py runserver, my django server runs and I can see my webpage, however some of the tailwind doesn't work.

When I then stop that server and run python manage.py tailwind start, the localhost:8000 doesn't show my webpage, but my terminal says that it is running.

When I then stop the tailwind server running, and run python manage.py runserver, I get an error saying NameError: name '_mysql' is not defined.

I am unsure why this is happening, here is my full stack trace:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/MySQLdb/__init__.py", line 18, in <module>
    from . import _mysql
ImportError: dlopen(/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/MySQLdb/_mysql.cpython-38-darwin.so, 2): Library not loaded: @rpath/libmysqlclient.21.dylib
  Referenced from: /Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/MySQLdb/_mysql.cpython-38-darwin.so
  Reason: image not found

During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "manage.py", line 22, in <module>
    main()
  File "manage.py", line 18, in main
    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py", line 425, in execute_from_command_line
    utility.execute()
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/core/management/__init__.py", line 401, in execute
    django.setup()
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/__init__.py", line 24, in setup
    apps.populate(settings.INSTALLED_APPS)
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/apps/registry.py", line 114, in populate
    app_config.import_models()
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/apps/config.py", line 300, in import_models
    self.models_module = import_module(models_module_name)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.8/lib/python3.8/importlib/__init__.py", line 127, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1014, in _gcd_import
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 991, in _find_and_load
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 975, in _find_and_load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 671, in _load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 783, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/models.py", line 3, in <module>
    from django.contrib.auth.base_user import AbstractBaseUser, BaseUserManager
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/contrib/auth/base_user.py", line 47, in <module>
    class AbstractBaseUser(models.Model):
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 122, in __new__
    new_class.add_to_class('_meta', Options(meta, app_label))
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/db/models/base.py", line 326, in add_to_class
    value.contribute_to_class(cls, name)
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/db/models/options.py", line 207, in contribute_to_class
    self.db_table = truncate_name(self.db_table, connection.ops.max_name_length())
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/utils/connection.py", line 15, in __getattr__
    return getattr(self._connections[self._alias], item)
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/utils/connection.py", line 62, in __getitem__
    conn = self.create_connection(alias)
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/db/utils.py", line 204, in create_connection
    backend = load_backend(db['ENGINE'])
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/db/utils.py", line 111, in load_backend
    return import_module('%s.base' % backend_name)
  File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.8/lib/python3.8/importlib/__init__.py", line 127, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/django/db/backends/mysql/base.py", line 15, in <module>
    import MySQLdb as Database
  File "/Users/maxculley/Desktop/ESD COURSEWORK/venv/lib/python3.8/site-packages/MySQLdb/__init__.py", line 24, in <module>
    version_info, _mysql.version_info, _mysql.__file__
NameError: name '_mysql' is not defined

Answer 1

I also encountered the same error last few days, just found this solution and it works for me, hope it helps!

1. Use the following command to check mysqlclient is installed or not: pip freeze

2. Add env variable to ~/.zshrc for zsh, or ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile for bash etc.): export DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/local/mysql/lib/

3. Apply change by running source ~/.your_shell_config_file

Source: https://medium.com/@cui.shinan0812/django-reason-image-not-found-nameerror-name-mysql-is-not-defined-a0d834c2d7b4