Conda python package installs in wrong place

I have created a pure python conda package called ssstack using conda build, but when I install it (from the local build directory) using:

conda create -n <env name> -c <path to local build> ssstack`

the python package and CLI executables get put in the wrong place. Instead of it putting the python package in:

<ENV_ROOT>/lib/python3.12/site-packages/ssstack

it incorrectly puts them in the root of the environment, i.e.:

<ENV_ROOT>/site-packages/ssstack

It also puts the python CLI scripts in the wrong place; instead of it being put in

<ENV_ROOT>/bin/ssstack

It ends up being left in:

<ENV_ROOT>/python-scripts/ssstack

Obviously, neither the python module or the CLI scripts can be found when using the environment.

It's almost like conda doesn't know that it is a python package, so doesn't put it under the lib/python3.xx directory.

Oddly, if I create a new environment with just a python installation first, then activate it and install the ssstack package in to the existing environment then everything gets put in the correct place, i.e.:

conda create -n ssstack_env python==3.12
conda activate ssstack_env
conda install -c <path to local build> ssstack  ## WORKS!

I can't for the life of me understand why the latter method works correctly, but not the former.

I've spent a lot of time searching for a reason, but have come up with nothing. Any advice will be gratefully recieved!

Here's my meta.yaml recipe for reference:

{% set name = "ssstack" %}
{% set version = "0.4.0" %}

package:
  name: "{{ name|lower }}"
  version: "{{ version }}"

source:
  path: ../../..

build:
  noarch: python
  number: 1
  script: {{ PYTHON }} -m pip install . -vv --no-deps --no-build-isolation


requirements:
  host:
    - pip
    - python>=3.8
    - setuptools
  run:
    - conda
    - conda-lock
    - packaging
    - pydantic
    - pyyaml
    - requests
    - tabulate
    - tqdm
    - typer

Solution

OK - after many frustrating hours I finally figured this out for myself.

The issue was that python was missing as a dependency in requirements: -> run:, i.e.:

requirements:
  run:
    - python

It appears that without this conda doesn't realise that it is a python package and doesn't put the site-packages and CLI scripts in the right place.

This must be a change in behaviour of conda at some point because AFAIK this recipe used to work fine.

P.S. the thing that alerted to me to this was the lack of a _py part to the build version of the generated conda package.