ImportError: cannot import name path

TL;DR: the third-party path.py package conflicts with IPython's imports. Uninstall path.py, or upgrade IPython past the fragile era.

The error

ImportError: cannot import name path

Fix it

1. Remove the conflicting package:

   pip uninstall -y path.py

   Expected: reports removal.

2. Verify:

   python -c "import IPython; print(IPython.__version__)"

   Expected: prints the version, no error.

3. Alternative: upgrade IPython and notebook to modern releases:

   pip install -U ipython notebook

When this applies

Use this when installing or launching old IPython raises the bare cannot-import-name-path error.

When it does not apply

If the error quotes the name ('path' with quotes) or names a from-module, it is a different import. If IPython is modern, this specific conflict does not occur.

Compatibility

Old IPython (5.x era and earlier) with the path.py package installed.

Root cause

Old IPython imported a name called path that the third-party path.py package also provides under a colliding import path. With both installed, Python resolved the wrong one and the expected name was missing.

Edge cases

Some old projects genuinely need path.py; in that case upgrading IPython is the only fix. Modern IPython renamed its internals, so the conflict is extinct there.

The classic Stack Overflow question on installing IPython (mirrored at exchangetuts) reports ImportError: cannot import name path when launching IPython. The verified fix from the thread: the third-party path.py package conflicts with what IPython imports, so pip uninstall -y path.py resolved it; upgrading ipython and notebook past the fragile era also works. Mirror: https://exchangetuts.com/installing-ipython-importerror-cannot-import-name-path-1639664827281464