Python/Tkinter : ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_tkinter' - python-3.x

Question

This is my first post StackOverflow, I will try to make it as correct and complete as possible if you have any tips to improve my post I will gladly accept it.
I'm having trouble running code written in Python that uses Tkinter.
I will try to describe in detail my actions to facilitate the identification of the error.
I started a course at Coursera on DSP (Digital Signal Processing) where it is suggested to install a tool written in python (and a little bit of C). I'm using Arch Linux.
link on Github:
sms-tools repo
Using pyenv/virtualenv/virtualenvwrapper I created an environment with Python 3.7.5, as recommended in the "How to use" section of the repository.
I installed the required libraries in my environment by pip:
%pip install ipython numpy matplotlib scipy cython
I compiled some C functions in the "/sms-tools/software/models/utilFunctions_C"
directory with the following command:
%python compileModule.py build_ext --inplace
Finally, I run the models GUI in the directory "/sms-tools/software/models_interface"
%python models_GUI.py
and I get the following message:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "models_GUI.py", line 6, in <module>
from Tkinter import * ## notice capitalized T in Tkinter
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'Tkinter'
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "models_GUI.py", line 9, in <module>
from tkinter import * ## notice lowercase 't' in tkinter here
File "~/.pyenv/versions/3.7.5/lib/python3.7/tkinter/__init__.py", line 36, in <module>
import _tkinter # If this fails your Python may not be configured for Tk
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named '_tkinter'
I will now describe some of my attempts to solve the problem:
Looking at Tkinter section in Python Wiki I tried installing Tcl and Tk.
%sudo pacman -S tk
but it was already installed. after that I tried installing with pip:
%pip install tk
and
%pip install tkinter
and the error remains the same.
I also tried to create a symlink with this code:
%ln -s /usr/lib/python3.8/lib-dynload/_tkinter.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so _tkinter.cpython-38-x86_64-linux-gnu.so
the symlink was created in the following folders:
~/.ve/Coursera_DSP/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload
and
.pyenv/versions/3.7.5/lib/python3.7/lib-dynload
But I still get the same error.
I appreciate it if anyone has any suggestions and I apologize for the language errors since English is not my mother tongue.
After an incessant search on the internet, I believe the problem is related to pyenv and TCL/TK.
I don't understand much about the subject but I suspect that in the creation of the environment by virtualenv python has lost the connection with TCL/TK. Does that make any sense?

Answer 1

Here is step by step guide to make IDLE and tkinter work. Working for me on macOS Catalina. Should be easily adapted to Linux environment:
install tcl-tk with Homebrew. In shell run brew install tcl-tk
in shell run echo 'export PATH="/usr/local/opt/tcl-tk/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zshrc
reload shell by quitting Terminal app or run source ~/.zshrc
after reloaded check that tck-tk is in $PATH. Run echo $PATH | grep --color=auto tcl-tk. As the result you should see your $PATH contents with tcl-tk highlighted
now we run three commands from Homebrew's output from step #1
in shell run export LDFLAGS="-L/usr/local/opt/tcl-tk/lib"
in shell run export CPPFLAGS="-I/usr/local/opt/tcl-tk/include"
in shell run export PKG_CONFIG_PATH="/usr/local/opt/tcl-tk/lib/pkgconfig"
if you have your Python version already installed with pyenv then uninstall it with pyenv uninstall <your python version>. E.g. pyenv uninstall 3.8.2
set environment variable that will be used by python-build. In shell run PYTHON_CONFIGURE_OPTS="--with-tcltk-includes='-I/usr/local/opt/tcl-tk/include' --with-tcltk-libs='-L/usr/local/opt/tcl-tk/lib -ltcl8.6 -ltk8.6'"
Note: in future use tck-tk version that actually installed with Homebrew. At the moment of posting 8.6 was the actual
finally install Python with pyenv with pyenv install <version>. E.g. pyenv install 3.8.2
Test
in shell run pyenv global <verion that you've just installed>
now check IDLE. In shell run idle. You should see IDLE window without any warnings and "text printed in red".
now check tkinter. In shell run python -m tkinter -c "tkinter._test()". You should see test window like on the image:
That's it!
My environment:
check this is something went wrong executing steps above:
macOS Catalina
zsh (included in macOS Catalina) = "shell" above
Homebrew (installed with instructions from Homebrew official website)
pyenv (installed with Homebrew and PATH updated according to pyenv official readme from GitHub)
Python 3.8.x - 3.9.x (installed with pyenv install <version> command)

Answer 2

mac Monterey (M1)
brew install python-tk
python 3.9.10

Answer 3

My basic install of linux mint 20 contains python3.
On windows machines this includes the tkinter package.
My solution was to
sudo apt-get install python-tk
or
sudo apt-get install python3-tk
and live was sunny again.

Answer 4

I created a venv using Python 3.10.5 (alternate version to default 3.8). Tkinter failed to install when I used the command "sudo apt-get install python3-tk"; however, when I used "sudo apt-get install python3.10-tk", the module installed properly. Apparently, using the specific python3 version made the difference.

Answer 5

Since I couldn't find any solution I just uninstalled my whole environment system (pyenv pyenv-virtualenv virtualenv and virtualenvwrapper) and installed conda instead. Now everything works.
Probably I messed up with pyenv installation.
Thank you all :D