Gcc fatal error python h no such file or directory

Looks like you haven’t properly installed the header files and static libraries for python dev. Use your package manager to install them system-wide.

For apt (Ubuntu, Debian…):

sudo apt-get install python-dev   # for python2.x installs
sudo apt-get install python3-dev  # for python3.x installs

For yum (CentOS, RHEL…):

sudo yum install python-devel    # for python2.x installs
sudo yum install python3-devel   # for python3.x installs

For dnf (Fedora…):

sudo dnf install python2-devel  # for python2.x installs
sudo dnf install python3-devel  # for python3.x installs

For zypper (openSUSE…):

sudo zypper in python-devel   # for python2.x installs
sudo zypper in python3-devel  # for python3.x installs

For apk (Alpine…):

# This is a departure from the normal Alpine naming
# scheme, which uses py2- and py3- prefixes
sudo apk add python2-dev  # for python2.x installs
sudo apk add python3-dev  # for python3.x installs

For apt-cyg (Cygwin…):

apt-cyg install python-devel   # for python2.x installs
apt-cyg install python3-devel  # for python3.x installs

Note: python3-dev does not automatically cover all minor versions of python3, if you are using e.g. python 3.8 you may need to install python3.8-dev.

answered Feb 3, 2014 at 15:10

On Ubuntu, I was running Python 3 and I had to install

sudo apt-get install python3-dev

If you want to use a version of Python that is not linked to python3, install the associated python3.x-dev package. For example:

sudo apt-get install python3.5-dev

answered Feb 27, 2014 at 18:54

For Python 3.7 and Ubuntu in particular, I needed

sudo apt install libpython3.7-dev

.
I think at some point names were changed from pythonm.n-dev to this.

for Python 3.6, 3.8 through 3.10 (and counting…) similarly:

sudo apt install libpython3.6-dev 

sudo apt install libpython3.8-dev 

sudo apt install libpython3.9-dev

sudo apt install libpython3.10-dev

answered Aug 28, 2019 at 18:50

Two things you have to do.

Install development package for Python, in case of Debian/Ubuntu/Mint it’s done with command:

sudo apt-get install python-dev

Second thing is that include files are not by default in the include path, nor is Python library linked with executable by default. You need to add these flags (replace Python’s version accordingly):

-I/usr/include/python2.7 -lpython2.7 

In other words your compile command ought to be:

gcc -Wall -I/usr/include/python2.7 -lpython2.7  utilsmodule.c -o Utilc 

answered Feb 3, 2014 at 15:13

on Fedora run this for Python 2:

sudo dnf install python2-devel

and for Python 3:

sudo dnf install python3-devel

If you are using tox to run tests on multiple versions of Python, you may need to install the Python dev libraries for each version of Python you are testing on.

sudo apt-get install python2.6-dev 
sudo apt-get install python2.7-dev 
etc.

answered Apr 23, 2015 at 17:38

Make sure that the Python dev files come with your OS.

You should not hard code the library and include paths. Instead, use pkg-config, which will output the correct options for your specific system:

$ pkg-config --cflags --libs python2
-I/usr/include/python2.7 -lpython2.7

You may add it to your gcc line:

gcc -Wall utilsmodule.c -o Utilc $(pkg-config --cflags --libs python2) 

answered Feb 3, 2014 at 15:26

For me, changing it to this worked:

#include <python2.7/Python.h>

I found the file /usr/include/python2.7/Python.h, and since /usr/include is already in the include path, then python2.7/Python.h should be sufficient.

You could also add the include path from command line instead — gcc -I/usr/lib/python2.7 (thanks @erm3nda).

answered Nov 14, 2015 at 17:14

In AWS API (centOS) its

yum install python27-devel

AWS EC2 install running python34:

sudo yum install python34-devel

answered Dec 12, 2016 at 22:57

answered May 9, 2017 at 11:46

answered Feb 1, 2016 at 1:27

It’s not the same situation, but it also works for me and now I can use SWIG with Python3.5:

I was trying to compile:

gcc -fPIC -c existe.c existe_wrap.c -I /usr/include/python3.5m/

With Python 2.7 works fine, not with my version 3.5:

existe_wrap.c:147:21: fatal error: Python.h: No existe el archivo o el
directorio compilation terminated.

After run in my Ubuntu 16.04 installation:

sudo apt-get install python3-dev  # for python3.x installs

Now I can compile without problems Python3.5:

gcc -fPIC -c existe.c existe_wrap.c -I /usr/include/python3.5m/

answered Feb 4, 2014 at 9:32

I also encountered this error when I was installing coolprop in ubuntu.

For ubuntu 16.04 with python 3.6

sudo apt-get install python3.6-dev

If ever this doesn’t work try installing/updating gcc lib.

sudo apt-get install gcc

answered May 14, 2018 at 1:58

answered Nov 3, 2015 at 12:25

This problem can also arrive when you have different Python versions installed and you use a pip that’s not the system’s one. In that case, the non-system pip won’t find the right version of Python headers.

It happened to me when trying to pip install a package for a Python bundled with an application. As it was not system’s python, apt install pythonXX-dev didn’t work.

In this case, the solution is to find the right python header:

find / -iname 'Python.h'

In the output, you will see system python headers, and hopefully the one you are looking for, for example:

/usr/include/python3.7m/Python.h
/usr/include/python3.6m/Python.h
/home/ubuntu/workspace/blender-git/lib/linux_centos7_x86_64/python/include/python3.7m/Python.h
/home/ubuntu/miniconda3/pkgs/python-3.8.5-h7579374_1/include/python3.8/Python.h
/home/ubuntu/miniconda3/pkgs/python-3.7.0-h6e4f718_3/include/python3.7m/Python.h
/home/ubuntu/miniconda3/include/python3.8/Python.h
/home/ubuntu/miniconda3/envs/sim/include/python3.7m/Python.h
/home/ubuntu/src/blender-deps/Python-3.7.7/Include/Python.h
/opt/lib/python-3.7.7/include/python3.7m/Python.h

Then, you can set a compiler flag that will get used by gcc when called by pip.
Mine was /home/ubuntu/workspace/blender-git/lib/linux_centos7_x86_64/python/include/python3.7m/Python.h, so I did:

export CPPFLAGS=-I/home/ubuntu/src/blender-deps/Python-3.7.7/Include
pip install <package>

answered Apr 8, 2021 at 8:23

kmonsoorkmonsoor

7,2807 gold badges42 silver badges55 bronze badges

Here is yet another solution, because none of these solutions worked for me. For reference, I was trying to pip install something on an Amazon Linux AMI base Docker image for Python 3.6.

Non-docker solution:

# Install python3-devel like everyone says
yum -y install python36-devel.x86_64

# Find the install directory of `Python.h`
rpm -ql python36-devel.x86_64 | grep -i "Python.h"

# Forcefully add it to your include path
C_INCLUDE_PATH='/usr/include/python3.6m'
export C_INCLUDE_PATH

Docker solution:

# Install python3-devel like everyone says
RUN yum -y install python36-devel.x86_64

# Find the install directory of `Python.h`, for me it was /usr/include/python3.6m
RUN rpm -ql python36-devel.x86_64 | grep -i "Python.h" && fake_command_so_docker_fails_and_shows_us_the_output

# Since the previous command contains a purposeful error, remove it before the next run

# Forcefully add it to your include path
ARG C_INCLUDE_PATH='/usr/include/python3.6m'

NOTE: If you’re getting the error when compiling C++, use CPLUS_INCLUDE_PATH.

Alternatively, you may prefer to use another Docker image. For example, I was trying to install asyncpg~=0.24.0 on python:3.9.4-slim, which generated the same error as you saw. However, when I updated the image to python:3, it worked fine.

If you’re using Python 3.6 on Amazon Linux (based on RHEL, but the RHEL answers given here didn’t work):

sudo yum install python36-devel

answered Feb 13, 2018 at 13:56

answered Jun 8, 2019 at 16:25

Sure python-dev or libpython-all-dev are the first thing to (apt )install, but if that doesn’t help as was my case, I advice you to install the foreign Function Interface packages by sudo apt-get install libffi-dev and sudo pip install cffi.

This should help out especially if you see the error as/from c/_cffi_backend.c:2:20: fatal error: Python.h: No such file or directory.

answered Dec 7, 2016 at 13:45

try locate your Python.h:

gemfield@ThinkPad-X1C:~$ locate Python.h
/home/gemfield/anaconda3/include/python3.7m/Python.h
/home/gemfield/anaconda3/pkgs/python-3.7.6-h0371630_2/include/python3.7m/Python.h
/usr/include/python3.8/Python.h

if not found, then install python-dev or python3-dev; else include the correct header path for compiler:

g++ -I/usr/include/python3.8 ...

answered Aug 21, 2020 at 10:06

I am on Ubuntu. I have installed all packages as was recommended in some answers.

sudo apt-get install python-dev   # for python2.x installs
sudo apt-get install python3-dev  # for python3.x installs

I still had this problem, the line:

#include "Python.h"

And some others, I can edit them manually, it is a bad practice.
I know the secret now, it comes from the cython source code. I have the file. It compiles without errors. That is the file.
Change PYTHON to python version you have, python/python3. Change FILE to your c-filename. The name of the makefile file should be Makefile. Run the the file with the command:

make all

Makefile for creating our standalone Cython program

    FILE := file.c
    PYTHON := python3
    PYVERSION := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import sys;                     
    print(sys.version[:3])")
    PYPREFIX := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import sys; print(sys.prefix)")

    INCDIR := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "from distutils import sysconfig; 
    print(sysconfig.get_python_inc())")
    PLATINCDIR := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "from distutils import 
    sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_python_inc(plat_specific=True))")
    LIBDIR1 := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "from distutils import sysconfig; 
    print(sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBDIR'))")
    LIBDIR2 := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "from distutils import sysconfig; 
    print(sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBPL'))")
    PYLIB := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "from distutils import sysconfig; 
    print(sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBRARY')[3:-2])")

    CC := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import distutils.sysconfig; 
    print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('CC'))")
    LINKCC := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import distutils.sysconfig; 
    print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LINKCC'))")
    LINKFORSHARED := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import distutils.sysconfig; 
    print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LINKFORSHARED'))")
    LIBS := $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import distutils.sysconfig; 
    print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('LIBS'))")
    SYSLIBS :=  $(shell $(PYTHON) -c "import distutils.sysconfig; 
    print(distutils.sysconfig.get_config_var('SYSLIBS'))")

    .PHONY: paths all clean test

    paths:
        @echo "PYTHON=$(PYTHON)"
        @echo "PYVERSION=$(PYVERSION)"
        @echo "PYPREFIX=$(PYPREFIX)"
        @echo "INCDIR=$(INCDIR)"
        @echo "PLATINCDIR=$(PLATINCDIR)"
        @echo "LIBDIR1=$(LIBDIR1)"
        @echo "LIBDIR2=$(LIBDIR2)"
        @echo "PYLIB=$(PYLIB)"
        @echo "CC=$(CC)"
        @echo "LINKCC=$(LINKCC)"
        @echo "LINKFORSHARED=$(LINKFORSHARED)"
        @echo "LIBS=$(LIBS)"
        @echo "SYSLIBS=$(SYSLIBS)"

    $(FILE:.c=): $(FILE:.c=.o)
        $(LINKCC) -o $@ $^ -L$(LIBDIR1) -L$(LIBDIR2) -l$(PYLIB)         
    $(LIBS) $(SYSLIBS) $(LINKFORSHARED)

    $(FILE:.c=.o): $(FILE)
        $(CC) -c $^ -I$(INCDIR) -I$(PLATINCDIR)

    all: $(FILE:.c=)

answered Dec 22, 2021 at 17:05

This error occurred when I attempted to install ctds on CentOS 7 with Python3.6. I did all the tricks mentioned here including yum install python34-devel. The problem was Python.h was found in /usr/include/python3.4m but not in /usr/include/python3.6m. I tried to use --global-option to point to include dir (pip3.6 install --global-option=build_ext --global-option="--include-dirs=/usr/include/python3.4m" ctds). This resulted in a lpython3.6m not found when linking ctds.

Finally what worked was fixing the development environment for Python3.6 needs to correct with the include and libs.

yum -y install https://dl.iuscommunity.org/pub/ius/stable/CentOS/7/x86_64/python36u-libs-3.6.3-1.ius.centos7.x86_64.rpm

Python.h needs to be in your include path for gcc. Whichever version of python is used, for example if it’s 3.6, then it should be in /usr/include/python3.6m/Python.h typically.

answered Nov 3, 2017 at 17:14

dphansdphans

1,40517 silver badges19 bronze badges

KosKos

69.4k24 gold badges167 silver badges231 bronze badges

While looking for a solution for the Hungarian problem, I found this GitHub link.

I went through the readme.md file and I performed everything described there. After copying hungarian.so into my working directory, when I tried to compile hungarian.cpp using make hungarian, I got this output:

anupam@JAZZ:~/Python/hungarian-master$ make hungarian
g++     hungarian.cpp   -o hungarian
hungarian.cpp:7:20: fatal error: Python.h: No such file or directory
 #include "Python.h"
                    ^
compilation terminated.
make: *** [hungarian] Error 1

I found this related question on Stack Overflow, but the answer didn’t work for me.

I am very new to GitHub I don’t know how to add modules on g++. Can someone help me with that, and what to do next?

For Python 3:

sudo apt-get install python-dev python3-dev

You can also install it for specific versions of Python (if available for your version of Ubuntu, or from a PPA):

sudo apt-get install python3.4-dev
sudo apt-get install python3.5-dev

The python3-dev package depends on a python3.x-dev package, (where 3.x is the system version of Python) and on the libpython3-dev package, which in turn depends on a corresponding libpython3.x-dev package.