Error installing packages using pip: "You must use Visual Studio to build a python extension on windows ... You need to install Visual Studio for C++"

Question

I am using VS Code on Windows 10. When I try to install the face_recognition package using pip I get the following error:

 ERROR: Command errored out with exit status 1:
     command: 'c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\python.exe' -u -c 'import sys, setuptools, tokenize; sys.argv[0] = '"'"'C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\setup.py'"'"'; __file__='"'"'C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\setup.py'"'"';f=getattr(tokenize, '"'"'open'"'"', open)(__file__);code=f.read().replace('"'"'\r\n'"'"', '"'"'\n'"'"');f.close();exec(compile(code, __file__, '"'"'exec'"'"'))' install --record 'C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-record-f5b3pskr\install-record.txt' --single-version-externally-managed --compile --install-headers 'c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\Include\dlib'
         cwd: C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\
    Complete output (60 lines):
    running install
    running build
    running build_py
    package init file 'tools\python\dlib\__init__.py' not found (or not a regular file)
    running build_ext
    Building extension for Python 3.8.5 (tags/v3.8.5:580fbb0, Jul 20 2020, 15:57:54) [MSC v.1924 64 bit (AMD64)]
    Invoking CMake setup: 'cmake C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\tools\python -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY=C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\build\lib.win-amd64-3.8 -DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\python.exe -DCMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE=C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\build\lib.win-amd64-3.8 -A x64'
    -- Building for: NMake Makefiles
    CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:5 (message):



      !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


      You must use Visual Studio to build a python extension on windows.  If you
      are getting this error it means you have not installed Visual C++.  Note
      that there are many flavors of Visual Studio, like Visual Studio for C#
      development.  You need to install Visual Studio for C++.


      !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




    -- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "<string>", line 1, in <module>
      File "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\setup.py", line 223, in <module>
        setup(
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\site-packages\setuptools\__init__.py", line 144, in setup
        return distutils.core.setup(**attrs)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\core.py", line 148, in setup
        dist.run_commands()
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 966, in run_commands
        self.run_command(cmd)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 985, in run_command
        cmd_obj.run()
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\site-packages\setuptools\command\install.py", line 61, in run
        return orig.install.run(self)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\command\install.py", line 545, in run
        self.run_command('build')
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\cmd.py", line 313, in run_command
        self.distribution.run_command(command)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 985, in run_command
        cmd_obj.run()
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\command\build.py", line 135, in run
        self.run_command(cmd_name)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\cmd.py", line 313, in run_command
        self.distribution.run_command(command)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 985, in run_command
        cmd_obj.run()
      File "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\setup.py", line 135, in run
        self.build_extension(ext)
      File "C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-fi__6w9v\dlib\setup.py", line 172, in build_extension
        subprocess.check_call(cmake_setup, cwd=build_folder)
      File "c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\lib\subprocess.py", line 364, in check_call
        raise CalledProcessError(retcode, cmd)
    subprocess.CalledProcessError: Command '['cmake', 'C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\tools\\python', '-DCMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY=C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\build\\lib.win-amd64-3.8', '-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE=c:\\users\\admin\\appdata\\local\\programs\\python\\python38\\python.exe', '-DCMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY_RELEASE=C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\build\\lib.win-amd64-3.8', '-A', 'x64']' returned non-zero exit status 1.
    ----------------------------------------
ERROR: Command errored out with exit status 1: 'c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\python.exe' -u -c 'import sys, setuptools, tokenize; sys.argv[0] = '"'"'C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\setup.py'"'"'; __file__='"'"'C:\\Users\\Admin\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-install-fi__6w9v\\dlib\\setup.py'"'"';f=getattr(tokenize, '"'"'open'"'"', open)(__file__);code=f.read().replace('"'"'\r\n'"'"', '"'"'\n'"'"');f.close();exec(compile(code, __file__, '"'"'exec'"'"'))' install --record 'C:\Users\Admin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-record-f5b3pskr\install-record.txt' --single-version-externally-managed --compile --install-headers 'c:\users\admin\appdata\local\programs\python\python38\Include\dlib' Check the logs for full command output.

I tried to install dlib before installing face_recognition.

Sartre

Study this Answer and inform me if it is worked or not. – Garnettgarnette

Answer 1

The answer is really simple. You have to do what it says. Go to the VS installer and install VS for C++ and C#. The reason is that these modules use C code and while using Visual Studio, you have to make it so that it can compile the C++ code

Wira

thanks a lot, now it did not get error when i install face_recognition and dlib – Sartre

@KuldipGami If this worked, accept this answer and vote here for it so that anyone else who encounters this problem knows what works. To accept, there must be a tick next to the answer, click it. – Wira

Answer 2

For those who don't want to install the entirety of Visual Studio there is an easier way to get the required CMake tools:

Step 1: Download and run Build Tools for Visual Studio 2022 https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/downloads/#build-tools-for-visual-studio-2019

Step 2: Go to Individual Components and select C++ CMake tools for Windows and run through the install.

Step 3: Proceed to build your python application (e.g. dlib)

Lieutenant