compilation failure when running theano - windows 8.1 64 bit with Anaconda python distribution

Question

I am running lasagne/nolearn, which uses theano.

It has been particularly difficult to install and compile theano. The following compilation error happens after installing a 64 bit g++ compiler.

Help is much appreciated. Thanks!

Problem occurred during compilation with the command line below:

C:\MinGW\bin\g++.exe -shared -g -march=corei7-avx -mcx16 -msahf -mmovbe -maes -mpclmul -mpopcnt -mabm -mno-lwp -mfma -mno-fma4 -mno-xop -mbmi -mbmi2 -mno-tbm -mavx -mavx2 -msse4.2 -msse4.1 -mlzcnt -mno-rtm -mno-hle -mrdrnd -mf16c -mfsgsbase -mno-rdseed -mno-prfchw -mno-adx -mfxsr -mxsave -mxsaveopt --param l1-cache-size=0 --param l1-cache-line-size=0 --param l2-cache-size=256 -mtune=generic -D NPY_NO_DEPRECATED_API=NPY_1_7_API_VERSION -m64 -DMS_WIN64 -IC:\Users\aleja_000\Anaconda\lib\site-packages\numpy\core\include -IC:\Users\aleja_000\Anaconda\include -o C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Local\Theano\compiledir_Windows-8-6.2.9200-Intel64_Family_6_Model_60_Stepping_3_GenuineIntel-2.7.9-64\lazylinker_ext\lazylinker_ext.pyd C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Local\Theano\compiledir_Windows-8-6.2.9200-Intel64_Family_6_Model_60_Stepping_3_GenuineIntel-2.7.9-64\lazylinker_ext\mod.cpp -LC:\Users\aleja_000\Anaconda\libs -LC:\Users\aleja_000\Anaconda -lpython27
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\Anaconda\lib\site-packages\IPython\core\interactiveshell.py", line 3032, in run_code
===============================
C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Local\Theano\compiledir_Windows-8-6.2.9200-Intel64_Family_6_Model_60_Stepping_3_GenuineIntel-2.7.9-64\lazylinker_ext\mod.cpp:1:0: sorry, unimplemented: 64-bit mode not compiled in
 #include <Python.h>
 ^

    exec(code_obj, self.user_global_ns, self.user_ns)
  File "<ipython-input-2-1e86b04c8a9c>", line 6, in <module>
    from lasagne.layers import DenseLayer
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "c:\users\aleja_000\anaconda\src\lasagne\lasagne\__init__.py", line 5, in <module>
    from . import nonlinearities
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "c:\users\aleja_000\anaconda\src\lasagne\lasagne\nonlinearities.py", line 6, in <module>
    from theano.tensor.nnet import sigmoid
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\__init__.py", line 55, in <module>
    from theano.compile import (
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\compile\__init__.py", line 9, in <module>
    from theano.compile.function_module import *
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\compile\function_module.py", line 17, in <module>
    import theano.compile.mode
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\compile\mode.py", line 11, in <module>
    import theano.gof.vm
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\gof\vm.py", line 654, in <module>
    import lazylinker_c
  File "C:\Program Files (x86)\JetBrains\PyCharm Community Edition 4.0.5\helpers\pydev\pydev_import_hook.py", line 21, in do_import
    module = self._system_import(name, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\gof\lazylinker_c.py", line 125, in <module>
    preargs=args)
  File "C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\theano\gof\cmodule.py", line 2042, in compile_str
    (status, compile_stderr.replace('\n', '. ')))
Exception: Compilation failed (return status=1): C:\Users\aleja_000\AppData\Local\Theano\compiledir_Windows-8-6.2.9200-Intel64_Family_6_Model_60_Stepping_3_GenuineIntel-2.7.9-64\lazylinker_ext\mod.cpp:1:0: sorry, unimplemented: 64-bit mode not compiled in
.  #include <Python.h>
.  ^
. 

Answer 1

I found what the problem was and would like to post the solution. This particular problem was caused because the file libpythonxx.a file was missing in the same directory where you find the pythonxx.dll file (in my case python27.dll and thus I created the libpython27.a file.

A noble soul posted all steps necessary to install theano at http://rosinality.ncity.net/doku.php?id=python:installing_theano (in Korean and English). To generate such file, you copy the pythonxx.dll file to a temporary directory and type the following commands in the windows console:

gendef pythonXX.dll

dlltool --as-flags=--64 -m i386:x86-64 -k --output-lib libpythonXX.a --input-def pythonXX.def

Then you paste the generated libpythonxx.a file in the same directory as the pythonxx.dll file.

In windows, you usually find this file under C:\Windows\System3 but if you are using anaconda as I am, you will find it under?

C:\Users\xxxxx\Anaconda\libs, xxxxx being your user.

Answer 2

For those using WinPython and mingw, here some additional information:

1) Don't even bother trying the mingw32 package when using a 64bit Windows, immediately go for mingw64. That stops the above shown error from occuring

2) For WinPython, the .theanorc or .theanorc.txt file must not be in your home directory, but in the WinPython/settings directory!

3) Make things easier by using linux style path separators such as, for the g++ flag, cxx=d:/dev/mingw-w64/mingw64/bin/g++.exe

4) nvcc needs the windows path to have included the cl.exe file, which can in general be found in you VS installation under something like (VSPATH)/VC/bin

Regards, G.