utilities.get_template_dir() unexpected keyword argument 'package'

[dakotah-hurda]

Description of Issue/Question

I am running a simple SSH script with Netmiko v4.4.0 on Python 3.13.0. The issue only appears when using the 'use_textfsm=True' argument in the send_command() function.

It appears the function ultimately calls the netmiko.utilities.get_template_dir() function on line 298.

On line this code section, two arguments are passed into the function: 'package' and 'resource':

netmiko/netmiko/utilities.py

Lines 322 to 330 in fe00998

	else:
	with pkg_resources.path(
	package="ntc_templates", resource="parse.py"
	) as posix_path:
	# Example: /opt/venv/netmiko/lib/python3.9/site-packages/ntc_templates/templates
	template_dir = str(posix_path.parent.joinpath("templates"))
	# This is for Netmiko automated testing
	if _skip_ntc_package:
	raise ModuleNotFoundError()

The traceback I'm experiencing indicates the pkg_resources.path() function being called does not expect those two arguments.

Setup

Netmiko version

netmiko       4.4.0
python         3.13.0

Netmiko device_type (if relevant to the issue)

cisco_ios

Steps to Reproduce the Issue

1. Create new python venv with python -m venv dirname (python 3.13.0)
2. Install netmiko with pip install netmiko
3. Write and execute the python script shown below, being sure to enable text_fsm in the send_command() function.

Error Traceback

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\test.py", line 20, in <module>
    output = c.send_command('show ip arp', use_textfsm=True)
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\Lib\site-packages\netmiko\base_connection.py", line 111, in wrapper_decorator
    return_val = func(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\Lib\site-packages\netmiko\utilities.py", line 596, in wrapper_decorator
    return func(self, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\Lib\site-packages\netmiko\base_connection.py", line 1834, in send_command
    return_val = structured_data_converter(
        command=command_string,
    ...<6 lines>...
        ttp_template=ttp_template,
    )
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\Lib\site-packages\netmiko\utilities.py", line 560, in structured_data_converter
    structured_output_tfsm = get_structured_data_textfsm(
        raw_data, platform=platform, command=command, template=textfsm_template
    )
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\Lib\site-packages\netmiko\utilities.py", line 377, in get_structured_data_textfsm
    template_dir = get_template_dir()
  File "C:\Users\dakotah.hurda\repos\netmiko-testing\Lib\site-packages\netmiko\utilities.py", line 298, in get_template_dir
    with pkg_resources.path(
         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~^
        package="ntc_templates", resource="parse.py"
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
    ) as posix_path:
    ^
TypeError: path() got an unexpected keyword argument 'package'

Relevant Python code

from netmiko import ConnectHandler

conn_data = {
    'device_type': 'cisco_ios',
    'host':   'dvc_name',
    'username': 'myusername',
    'password': 'mypassword',
}

c = ConnectHandler(**conn_data)
output = c.send_command('show ip arp', use_textfsm=True)

print(output)

[dakotah-hurda]

Just realized there's an open issue for packages support open, is this related?

#3520

[ktbyers]

@dakotah-hurda This should already be fixed in the develop branch. It is a PY3.13 change.

I need to do a release to pypi with Netmiko support for PY3.13, now that PY3.13 has been released.

[ktbyers]

Yes, same underling issue as #3520.

[dakotah-hurda]

Awesome, thanks for the quick response, you rock! 🤘

Will temporarily downgrade to 3.12.x until the new release is out. Thanks!

[Tes3awy]

A workaround for this issue is to specify the textfsm_template keyword in the send_command. Something like:

from netmiko import ConnectHandler

...

conn = ConnectHandler(**device)
facts = conn.send_command(
        "show version",
        use_textfsm=True,
        textfsm_template="C:\\Path\\to\\Project\\.venv\\Lib\\site-packages\\ntc_templates\\templates\\cisco_ios_show_version.textfsm",
    )
conn.disconnect()

print(facts)
...