I have Python on my Ubuntu system, but gcc can't find Python.h

Question

I am on a school computer, so I can\'t install anything.

I am trying to create C code which can be run in Python. It seems all the articles I am finding on it requi

Answer 1

On ubuntu you can just type sudo apt-get install python-dev -y in terminal to install the python-dev package.

Answer 2

On Ubuntu, you would need to install a package called python-dev. Since this package doesn't seem to be installed (locate Python.h didn't find anything) and you can't install it system-wide yourself, we need a different solution.

You can install Python in your home directory -- you don't need any special permissions to do this. If you are allowed to use a web browser and run a gcc, this should work for you. To this end

1. Download the source tarball.

2. Unzip with

   tar xjf Python-2.7.2.tar.bz2
   

3. Build and install with

   cd Python-2.7.2
   ./configure --prefix=/home/username/python --enable-unicode=ucs4
   make
   make install
   

Now, you have a complete Python installation in your home directory. Pass -I /home/username/python/include to gcc when compiling to make it aware of Python.h. Pass -L /home/username/python/lib and -lpython2.7 when linking.

Answer 3

The header files are now provided by libpython2.7-dev.

You can use the search form at packages.ubuntu.com to find out what package provides Python.h.

Answer 4

It happens because Python.h is not located in the default include folder (which is /usr/include/ ).

Installing Python-dev might help:

$ sudo apt-get install python-dev 

But mostly the problem will persist because the development packages are made inside a separate folder inside the include folder itself ( /usr/include/python2.7 or python3).

So you should either specify the library folder using -I option in gcc or by creating soft-links to everything inside those folders to just outside (I'd prefer the former option).

Using -I option in gcc:

$ gcc -o hello -I /usr/include/python2.7 helloworld.c

Creating soft-links :

$ sudo ln -sv /usr/include/python2.7/* /usr/include/

Answer 5

Go to Synaptic package manager. Reload -> Search for python -> select the python package you want -> Submit -> Install Works for me ;)

Exactly, the package you need to install is python-dev.

Answer 6

locate Python.h

If the output is empty, then find your python version

python --version

lets say it is X.x i.e 2.7 or 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 Then with the same version install header files and static libraries for python

sudo apt-get install pythonX.x-dev