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diff --git a/tests/test_virtualenv.py b/tests/test_virtualenv.py
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index ce45ede..7946a16 100644
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--- a/tests/test_virtualenv.py
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+++ b/tests/test_virtualenv.py
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@@ -4,11 +4,16 @@ import os
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 import shutil
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 import sys
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 import tempfile
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+import zipfile
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 import pytest
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 import platform  # noqa
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 from mock import patch, Mock
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+try:
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+    from pathlib import Path
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+except ImportError:
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+    from pathlib2 import Path
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 def test_version():
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     """Should have a version string"""
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@@ -139,3 +144,44 @@ def test_always_copy_option():
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                     " symlink (to %s)" % (full_name, os.readlink(full_name))
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     finally:
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         shutil.rmtree(tmp_virtualenv)
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+
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+
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+def test_missing_certifi_pem(tmp_path):
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+    """Make sure that we can still create virtual environment if pip is
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+    patched to not use certifi's cacert.pem and the file is removed.
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+    This can happen if pip is packaged by Linux distributions."""
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+    proj_dir = Path(__file__).parent.parent
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+    support_original = proj_dir / "virtualenv_support"
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+    pip_wheel = sorted(support_original.glob("pip*whl"))[0]
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+    whl_name = pip_wheel.name
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+
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+    wheeldir = tmp_path / "wheels"
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+    wheeldir.mkdir()
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+    tmpcert = tmp_path / "tmpcert.pem"
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+    cacert = "pip/_vendor/requests/cacert.pem"
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+    certifi = "pip/_vendor/requests/certs.py"
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+    oldpath = b"os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), 'cacert.pem')"
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+    newpath = "r'{}'".format(tmpcert).encode()
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+    removed = False
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+    replaced = False
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+
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+    with zipfile.ZipFile(str(pip_wheel), "r") as whlin:
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+        with zipfile.ZipFile(str(wheeldir / whl_name), "w") as whlout:
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+            for item in whlin.infolist():
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+                buff = whlin.read(item.filename)
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+                if item.filename == cacert:
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+                    tmpcert.write_bytes(buff)
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+                    removed = True
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+                    continue
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+                if item.filename == certifi:
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+                    nbuff = buff.replace(oldpath, newpath)
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+                    assert nbuff != buff
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+                    buff = nbuff
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+                    replaced = True
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+                whlout.writestr(item, buff)
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+
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+    assert removed and replaced
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+
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+    venvdir = tmp_path / "venv"
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+    search_dirs = [str(wheeldir), str(support_original)]
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+    virtualenv.create_environment(str(venvdir), search_dirs=search_dirs)
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diff --git a/virtualenv.egg-info/PKG-INFO b/virtualenv.egg-info/PKG-INFO
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index 11f5c75..501e81a 100644
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--- a/virtualenv.egg-info/PKG-INFO
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+++ b/virtualenv.egg-info/PKG-INFO
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@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
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-Metadata-Version: 1.1
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+Metadata-Version: 1.2
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 Name: virtualenv
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 Version: 15.1.0
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 Summary: Virtual Python Environment builder
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 Home-page: https://virtualenv.pypa.io/
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-Author: Jannis Leidel, Carl Meyer and Brian Rosner
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-Author-email: python-virtualenv@groups.google.com
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+Author: Ian Bicking
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+Author-email: ianb@colorstudy.com
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+Maintainer: Jannis Leidel, Carl Meyer and Brian Rosner
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+Maintainer-email: python-virtualenv@groups.google.com
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 License: MIT
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 Description: Virtualenv
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         ==========
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diff --git a/virtualenv.py b/virtualenv.py
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index a174b8a..5699998 100755
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--- a/virtualenv.py
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+++ b/virtualenv.py
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@@ -861,7 +861,10 @@ def install_wheel(project_names, py_executable, search_dirs=None,
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         import pip
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-        cert_data = pkgutil.get_data("pip._vendor.requests", "cacert.pem")
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+        try:
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+            cert_data = pkgutil.get_data("pip._vendor.requests", "cacert.pem")
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+        except IOError:
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+            cert_data = None
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         if cert_data is not None:
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             cert_file = tempfile.NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
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             cert_file.write(cert_data)