Installing py2cairo on OS X 10.8.5 in virtualenv

gistfile1.sh

# I ran into a problem when I was trying to import cairo installed into virtualenv
#
# >>> import cairo
# Fatal Python error: PyThreadState_Get: no current thread
# Abort trap: 6

# After extensive search I found possible source of the problem. When installing py2cairo from source code waf 
# builder links .so file to a wrong version of Python:
# $ otool -L ./build_directory/src/_cairo.so
# ./build_directory/src/_cairo.so:
#	/Users/burnash/dist/py2cairo-1.10.0/build_directory/src/_cairo.so (compatibility version 0.0.0, current version 0.0.0)
#	/opt/X11/lib/libcairo.2.dylib (compatibility version 11203.0.0, current version 11203.16.0)
#	/System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/Python (compatibility version 2.7.0, current version 2.7.2)
#	/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 169.3.0)

# Note link to /System/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/Python which is a system python

# Below is solution that worked for me when I started from scratch:

brew install cairo

# Download py2cairo

tar -xjf py2cairo-1.10.0.tar.bz2

cd py2cairo-1.10.0

export PKG_CONFIG_PATH=/opt/X11/lib/pkgconfig/cairo.pc:$PKG_CONFIG_PATH

# After this on my system echo $PKG_CONFIG_PATH gives:
# /opt/X11/lib/pkgconfig/cairo.pc:/usr/X11/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/Cellar/libpng/1.5.13/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/Cellar/freetype/2.4.10/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/Cellar/fontconfig/2.10.1/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/Cellar/pixman/0.28.0/lib/pkgconfig:/usr/local/Cellar/cairo/1.12.8/lib/pkgconfig:/opt/local/lib/pkgconfig

# Special thanks to:
# * http://stackoverflow.com/a/11286750/318359
# * https://github.com/Homebrew/homebrew/issues/12893
# * http://stackoverflow.com/a/9764104/318359
# * http://www.niconomicon.net/blog/2011/10/09/wrestling-python-snow-leopard.html

export PATH=/Users/burnash/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-2.7.3/bin:$PATH
export PYTHONPATH=/Users/burnash/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-2.7.3/lib
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Users/burnash/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-2.7.3:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=/Users/burnash/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-2.7.3/lib:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH
export LINKFLAGS='-search_dylibs_first  -L /Users/burnash/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-2.7.3/lib'
# From stackoverflow http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6886578/how-to-install-pycairo-1-10-on-mac-osx-with-default-python
export ARCHFLAGS='-arch x86_64'

# Replace /Users/burnash/projects/my_new_project/env with a path to your virtualenv
python waf configure --prefix=/Users/burnash/projects/my_new_project/env

python waf build

python waf install

# Test if cairo is linked to 
otool -L ./env/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cairo/_cairo.so
./env/lib/python2.7/site-packages/cairo/_cairo.so:
	/Users/burnash/dist/py2cairo-1.10.0/build_directory/src/_cairo.so (compatibility version 0.0.0, current version 0.0.0)
	/opt/X11/lib/libcairo.2.dylib (compatibility version 11203.0.0, current version 11203.16.0)
	/Users/burnash/.pythonbrew/pythons/Python-2.7.3/lib/libpython2.7.dylib (compatibility version 2.7.0, current version 2.7.0)
	/usr/lib/libSystem.B.dylib (compatibility version 1.0.0, current version 169.3.0)