Installing Ephem package in Python 3

Question

I would like to install the ephem package in my Python 3.3.0 version under Windows XP.

I tried first the pip install ephem route from the system command prompt. The process aborted with the error message of Unable to find vcvarsall.bat.

I read prior advice on the net for such a difficulty. Following it I installed mingw32 in my computer, added C:\MinGW\bin to the PATH variable and provided Lib / distutils with a new file called distutils.cfg and the content:

[build]
compiler=mingw32

On running now any of the install commands (pip, *easy_install* and setup.py all work the same) the following error results:

C:\MinGW\bin\gcc.exe -mno-cygwin -mdll -O -Wall -Ilibastro-3.7.5 -IC:\Python33\
include -IC:\Python33\include -c extensions/_libastro.c -o build\temp.win32-3.3\
Release\extensions\_libastro.o

cc1.exe: error: unrecognised command line option '-mno-cygwin'

error: command 'gcc' failed with exit status 1

I have tried to understand and solve the problem, but have been unsuccesful. I have not been able even to find the place in the code where such values are established.

¿Could somebody provide any help? ¿Would ephem be one of the cases alluded by Installing Python modules in the 3.3.0 Documentation with "Not all extensions can be built with MinGW or Cygwin, but many can."?

Thanks in advance

Paco

Answer 1

Here is an extremely useful page of Windows binaries of python packages: http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/.

It includes binaries for pyephem.