Compiling modules in OSX, eg PyUSB?

[Dr Mephesto]

Hi,

I am using Leopard and MacPython, and I would like to access a USB
device. I have installed libusb, and now I have tried to compile PyUSB
from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pyusb/

But when I compile I get lots of errors, ie:

pcfr147yusb-0.4.1 david$ python setup.py install
running install
running build
running build_ext
building 'usb' extension
gcc -arch ppc -arch i386 -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk -
fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-long-double -no-cpp-precomp -mno-fused-madd -
fno-common -dynamic -DNDEBUG -g -O3 -I/Library/Frameworks/
Python.framework/Versions/4.1.30101/include/python2.5 -c pyusb.c -o
build/temp.macosx-10.3-i386-2.5/pyusb.o
In file included from pyusb.c:11:
pyusb.h:6:17: error: usb.h: No such file or directory
In file included from pyusb.c:11:
pyusb.h:120: error: syntax error before 'usb_dev_handle'
pyusb.h:120: warning: no semicolon at end of struct or union
pyusb.h:122: error: syntax error before '}' token
pyusb.h:122: warning: data definition has no type or storage class
pyusb.h:131: warning: 'struct usb_endpoint_descriptor' declared inside
parameter list
pyusb.h:131: warning: its scope is only this definition or
declaration, which is probably not what you want
....
....
pyusb.c:2083: error: dereferencing pointer to incomplete type
pyusb.c:2084: warning: passing argument 1 of 'new_Bus' from
incompatible pointer type
lipo: can't figure out the architecture type of: /var/folders/xt/
xtY5vvWXEUyZv0KZrwtRz++++TI/-Tmp-//ccYg0qka.out
error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1


A long time googling found this similar problem:
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-325241.html
The suggested answer was to first do:

sudo apt-get install python-dev

But that was for a debian machine. I dont use fink, and I prefer to
use a standard osx python install if possible. I am still a python
novice, and I'm not sure if I am using the "python setup.py install"
command wrongly, or if I need this python-dev package, or something
completely different.

Has anyone had this problem, or know a solution? Thanks in Advance!

 

[Philip Semanchuk]

Hi,

I am using Leopard and MacPython, and I would like to access a USB
device. I have installed libusb, and now I have tried to compile PyUSB
from:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/pyusb/

But when I compile I get lots of errors, ie:

Hi Dr. M.,
The first error you get is that the compiler can't find usb.h:

pyusb.h:6:17: error: usb.h: No such file or directory

It's not surprising that a compile produces lots of errors when it
can't find a header file.

This project is looking for a header file that's not on your system
because PyUSB is Linux-specific. That doesn't mean it can't be made to
run on OS X, but the amount of effort required to make that happen
might range anywhere from trivial to difficult.

PyUSB deals with hardware, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that a
hardware interface varies from OS to OS. Since an entire header file
is missing here, my guess is that making it work on OS X would be
closer to difficult than trivial. It's also possible (likely?) that
the author doesn't even have a Mac or access to one, and so can't
experiment under OS X.

You need to contact the package author to ask if he has considered OS
X support. If not, you'll need to find another package. Google for
something like this:
python usb "os x"

That should help you to find packages that will work under OS X. Be
aware that there might not be such a package. :-/


Hope this helps
Philip

 

[Dr Mephesto]

Thanks.

I found some more info that might help, if I understood it From the
main PyUSB page, at http://pyusb.berlios.de/ , its says:

"PyUSB uses the libusb to do its work, so, any system which has Python
and libusb should work for PyUSB."

I have installed the OSX version of libusb, and it puts the missing
file "usb.h" in the directory: usr/local/include/usb.h
In the instruction for installing PyUSB on windows, it says:

"2) libusb-win32: a Windows version of the libusb C library available
from http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net.
From within a Cygwin terminal, copy the libusb.a file from the
libusb-win32 lib/ directory to $(CYGWINDIR)/usr/lib/, and copy the
usb.h file from the libusb-win32 include/ directory to
$(CYGWINDIR)/usr/include/. You can build and install PyUSB with the
command: python setup.py install"

As I have the required usb.h file, is there some way to let the
compiler know where is it when I run python setup.py install? I
already tried copying the "usb.h" file from usr/local/include/ to /usr/
iinclude, but it still didnt find it.

Dave

 

[Philip Semanchuk]

Thanks.

I found some more info that might help, if I understood it From the
main PyUSB page, at http://pyusb.berlios.de/ , its says:

"PyUSB uses the libusb to do its work, so, any system which has Python
and libusb should work for PyUSB."

OK, great -- that moves your problem from PyUSB to libusb, which is
useful to know. The PyUSB page lists supported operating systems only
as "Linux" which is partly what threw me off.

I have installed the OSX version of libusb, and it puts the missing
file "usb.h" in the directory: usr/local/include/usb.h
In the instruction for installing PyUSB on windows, it says:

"2) libusb-win32: a Windows version of the libusb C library available
from http://libusb-win32.sourceforge.net.
libusb-win32 lib/ directory to $(CYGWINDIR)/usr/lib/, and copy the
usb.h file from the libusb-win32 include/ directory to
$(CYGWINDIR)/usr/include/. You can build and install PyUSB with the
command: python setup.py install"

Whoa, why are we discussing Windows all of a sudden?

As I have the required usb.h file, is there some way to let the
compiler know where is it when I run python setup.py install? I
already tried copying the "usb.h" file from usr/local/include/ to /
usr/
iinclude, but it still didnt find it.

You don't have to do anything special to get the Python compile step
to look in /usr/include or /usr/local/include.

Can you post the output from this command?
find /usr -name usb.h -ls

Also post the output you get when you run this for PyUSB:
sudo python setup.py install

 

[Dr Mephesto]

windows? well, I thought that maybe the location of the "usb.h" thing
was relevant, and I didnt see it mentioned on the linux instructions.

find /usr -name usb.h -ls gives me:
3545683 24 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 8360 Mar 20
16:37 /usr/include/usb.h
3538549 24 -rw-rw-r-- 1 root wheel 8360 Feb 22
11:28 /usr/local/include/usb.h



sudo python setup.py install this gives me:
pcfr147yusb-0.4.1 david$ sudo python setup.py install
Password:
running install
running build
running build_ext
building 'usb' extension
gcc -arch ppc -arch i386 -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk -
fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-long-double -no-cpp-precomp -mno-fused-madd -
fno-common -dynamic -DNDEBUG -g -O3 -I/Library/Frameworks/
Python.framework/Versions/4.1.30101/include/python2.5 -c pyusb.c -o
build/temp.macosx-10.3-i386-2.5/pyusb.o
In file included from pyusb.c:11:
pyusb.h:6:17: error: usb.h: No such file or directory
In file included from pyusb.c:11:
pyusb.h:120: error: syntax error before 'usb_dev_handle'
pyusb.h:120: warning: no semicolon at end of struct or union
pyusb.h:122: error: syntax error before '}' token
pyusb.h:122: warning: data definition has no type or storage class
pyusb.h:131: warning: 'struct usb_endpoint_descriptor' declared inside
parameter list
pyusb.h:131: warning: its scope is only this definition or
declaration, which is probably not what you want
pyusb.h:135: warning: 'struct usb_endpoint_descriptor' declared inside
parameter list
pyusb.h:140: warning: 'struct usb_interface_descriptor' declared
inside parameter list
pyusb.h:144: warning: 'struct usb_interface_descriptor' declared
inside parameter list
pyusb.h:149: warning: 'struct usb_config_descriptor' declared inside
parameter list
pyusb.h:153: warning: 'struct usb_config_descriptor' declared inside
parameter list
pyusb.h:171: warning: 'struct usb_bus' declared inside parameter list
pyusb.h:239: error: syntax error before '*' token
pyusb.h:241: warning: data definition has no type or storage class
pyusb.c: In function 'getBuffer':
pyusb.c:143: warning: passing argument 3 of 'PyString_AsStringAndSize'
from incompatible pointer type
pyusb.c: In function 'installModuleConstants':
pyusb.c:236: error: 'USB_CLASS_PER_INTERFACE' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:236: error: (Each undeclared identifier is reported only once
pyusb.c:236: error: for each function it appears in.)
pyusb.c:237: error: 'USB_CLASS_AUDIO' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:238: error: 'USB_CLASS_COMM' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:239: error: 'USB_CLASS_HID' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:240: error: 'USB_CLASS_PRINTER' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:241: error: 'USB_CLASS_MASS_STORAGE' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:242: error: 'USB_CLASS_HUB' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:243: error: 'USB_CLASS_DATA' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:244: error: 'USB_CLASS_VENDOR_SPEC' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:245: error: 'USB_DT_DEVICE' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:246: error: 'USB_DT_CONFIG' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:247: error: 'USB_DT_STRING' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:248: error: 'USB_DT_INTERFACE' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:249: error: 'USB_DT_ENDPOINT' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:250: error: 'USB_DT_HID' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:251: error: 'USB_DT_REPORT' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:252: error: 'USB_DT_PHYSICAL' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:253: error: 'USB_DT_HUB' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:254: error: 'USB_DT_DEVICE_SIZE' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:255: error: 'USB_DT_CONFIG_SIZE' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:256: error: 'USB_DT_INTERFACE_SIZE' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:257: error: 'USB_DT_ENDPOINT_SIZE' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:258: error: 'USB_DT_ENDPOINT_AUDIO_SIZE' undeclared (first use
in this function)
pyusb.c:259: error: 'USB_DT_HUB_NONVAR_SIZE' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:260: error: 'USB_MAXENDPOINTS' undeclared (first use in this
function)
pyusb.c:261: error: 'USB_ENDPOINT_ADDRESS_MASK' undeclared (first use
in this function)
pyusb.c:262: error: 'USB_ENDPOINT_DIR_MASK' undeclared (first use in
this function)
pyusb.c:263: error: 'USB_ENDPOINT_TYPE_MASK' undeclared (first use in
this function)
....
and lots lots more. do you want the whole lot? It still cant find that
usb.h file.

dave

 

[Philip Semanchuk]

windows? well, I thought that maybe the location of the "usb.h" thing
was relevant, and I didnt see it mentioned on the linux instructions.

Oh, OK. Windows is a pretty different animal from Unix/Linux so it's
not likely to be of much help here.

find /usr -name usb.h -ls gives me:
3545683 24 -rw-r--r-- 1 root wheel 8360 Mar 20
16:37 /usr/include/usb.h
3538549 24 -rw-rw-r-- 1 root wheel 8360 Feb 22
11:28 /usr/local/include/usb.h

Looks good.

sudo python setup.py install this gives me:
pcfr147yusb-0.4.1 david$ sudo python setup.py install
Password:
running install
running build
running build_ext
building 'usb' extension
gcc -arch ppc -arch i386 -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk -
fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-long-double -no-cpp-precomp -mno-fused-madd -
fno-common -dynamic -DNDEBUG -g -O3 -I/Library/Frameworks/
Python.framework/Versions/4.1.30101/include/python2.5 -c pyusb.c -o
build/temp.macosx-10.3-i386-2.5/pyusb.o
In file included from pyusb.c:11:
pyusb.h:6:17: error: usb.h: No such file or directory

OK, I think I see what's going wrong, but I don't understand it. I
think I was wrong; setup.py doesn't automatically add /usr/include
and /usr/local/include to the include path when compiling. I'm basing
this on the documentation here, which states that these paths have to
be added explicitly:
http://docs.python.org/distutils/setupscript.html#preprocessor-options


However, the two C extensions I distribute compile just fine without
that, and they certainly rely on /usr/include and /usr/local/include.
Strange...


But nevermind that. Looking in the setup.py for PyUSB, I see this
special code added for OS X (a.k.a. Darwin):

elif -1 != platform.find("darwin"):
extra_link_args = ['-framework',
'CoreFoundation',
'-framework',
'IOKit',
'-L/sw/lib']
extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include']


The ['-I/sw/include'] tells the compiler what directories to search
for include files. The /sw/ tree is specific to Fink, so if you'd used
Fink to install libusb then the PyUSB setup would have found it. But
you didn't use Fink (nothing wrong with that; I don't either) and so
your usb.h landed in /usr/local/include. What you need to do, then, is
add that directory to the list.

So change line 32 in the PyUSB setup.py from this:
extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include']
to this:
extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include', '-I/usr/local/include']


The same assumption is made about the linker path. Note the '-L/sw/
lib'. You'll need to track down your copy of libusb (it's probably in /
usr/local/lib) and add that to the extra_link_args like so:

extra_link_args = ['-framework',
'CoreFoundation',
'-framework',
'IOKit',
'-L/sw/lib',
'-L/usr/local/lib']



Run setup again and I bet you'll be off to the races.


You should certainly report this to the package maintainer, and you
might also want to point out that the if block starting on line 17 of
setup.py and the if block starting on line 26 are both for OS X, but
they lead to different results!


Let us know how it works out,
Philip

 

[Dr Mephesto]

windows? well, I thought that maybe the location of the "usb.h" thing
was relevant, and I didnt see it mentioned on the linux instructions.

Oh, OK. Windows is a pretty different animal from Unix/Linux so it's  
not likely to be of much help here.

find /usr -name usb.h -ls   gives me:
3545683       24 -rw-r--r--    1 root     wheel        8360 Mar 20
16:37 /usr/include/usb.h
3538549       24 -rw-rw-r--    1 root     wheel        8360 Feb 22
11:28 /usr/local/include/usb.h

Looks good.

sudo python setup.py install         this gives me:
pcfr147yusb-0.4.1 david$ sudo python setup.py install
Password:
running install
running build
running build_ext
building 'usb' extension
gcc -arch ppc -arch i386 -isysroot /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.4u.sdk -
fno-strict-aliasing -Wno-long-double -no-cpp-precomp -mno-fused-madd -
fno-common -dynamic -DNDEBUG -g -O3 -I/Library/Frameworks/
Python.framework/Versions/4.1.30101/include/python2.5 -c pyusb.c -o
build/temp.macosx-10.3-i386-2.5/pyusb.o
In file included from pyusb.c:11:
pyusb.h:6:17: error: usb.h: No such file or directory

OK, I think I see what's going wrong, but I don't understand it. I  
think I was wrong; setup.py doesn't automatically add /usr/include  
and /usr/local/include to the include path when compiling. I'm basing  
this on the documentation here, which states that these paths have to  
be added explicitly:http://docs.python.org/distutils/setupscript.html#preprocessor-options

However, the two C extensions I distribute compile just fine without  
that, and they certainly rely on /usr/include and /usr/local/include.  
Strange...

But nevermind that. Looking in the setup.py for PyUSB, I see this  
special code added for OS X (a.k.a. Darwin):

elif -1 != platform.find("darwin"):
     extra_link_args = ['-framework',
                        'CoreFoundation',
                        '-framework',
                        'IOKit',
                        '-L/sw/lib']
     extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include']

The ['-I/sw/include'] tells the compiler what directories to search  
for include files. The /sw/ tree is specific to Fink, so if you'd used  
Fink to install libusb then the PyUSB setup would have found it. But  
you didn't use Fink (nothing wrong with that; I don't either) and so  
your usb.h landed in /usr/local/include. What you need to do, then, is  
add that directory to the list.

So change line 32 in the PyUSB setup.py from this:
     extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include']
to this:
     extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include', '-I/usr/local/include']

The same assumption is made about the linker path. Note the '-L/sw/
lib'. You'll need to track down your copy of libusb (it's probably in /
usr/local/lib) and add that to the extra_link_args like so:

     extra_link_args = ['-framework',
                        'CoreFoundation',
                        '-framework',
                        'IOKit',
                        '-L/sw/lib',
                        '-L/usr/local/lib']

Run setup again and I bet you'll be off to the races.

You should certainly report this to the package maintainer, and you  
might also want to point out that the if block starting on line 17 of  
setup.py and the if block starting on line 26 are both for OS X, but  
they lead to different results!

Let us know how it works out,
Philip

Great, that did the job perfectly! Very much appreciated!

I will write to the code maintainer to let them know the fix; I'm sure
their are lots of other people out there that will find your
modification useful.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

[Philip Semanchuk]

So change line 32 in the PyUSB setup.py from this:
extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include']
to this:
extra_compile_args = ['-I/sw/include', '-I/usr/local/include']

The same assumption is made about the linker path. Note the '-L/sw/
lib'. You'll need to track down your copy of libusb (it's probably
in /
usr/local/lib) and add that to the extra_link_args like so:

extra_link_args = ['-framework',
'CoreFoundation',
'-framework',
'IOKit',
'-L/sw/lib',
'-L/usr/local/lib']

Run setup again and I bet you'll be off to the races.

You should certainly report this to the package maintainer, and you
might also want to point out that the if block starting on line 17 of
setup.py and the if block starting on line 26 are both for OS X, but
they lead to different results!

Let us know how it works out,
Philip

Great, that did the job perfectly! Very much appreciated!

I will write to the code maintainer to let them know the fix; I'm sure
their are lots of other people out there that will find your
modification useful.

You're welcome. Glad I could help.

bye
Philip