The _imaging C module is not installed on QGIS 2.12.x Windows 32 bits

[jhemmi]

I was following the QGIS issu #13192 since two users of my plugin (PhysiocapAnalyseur) have experimented the error "The _imaging C module is not installed" when writing a tiff with Matplotlib.

It seems to be an installation problem on Windows 32 bits only.

I have reproduced the context problem on an old eeepc 32 bit with a fresh install of QGIS 2.12.2 ( QGIS-OSGeo4W-2.12.2-1-Setup-x86.exe ) in the Console Python:

import PIL

from PIL import _imaging

finish with "DLL load failed" on Windows 32 bits where

matplotlib.version

'1.2.1'

PIL.Image.VERSION

'1.1.7'

It's OK on Linux or Windows 64 bits where

matplotlib.version

'1.3.1'

PIL.VERSION

'1.1.7'

[jhemmi]

No news about this problem. I checked others issues that can be related : #326, #451 which are open too.

Is 32 bits prohibited for osgeo ?

[jef]

Does it work if you upgrade matplotlib via pip?

[jakosek]

Problem is bit old now, but still persist. I use only PIL modules (without matplotlib) and meet same behavior, problems with import "The _imaging C module is not installed". Solution is to install Pillow instead old PIL. Nice to have Pillow included in new installers (also - only Pillow exist for Python > 3).

[mkuhn]

I copied some missing files from Pillow as a workaround. More complete description here:

​http://stackoverflow.com/a/43657594/2319028

[jef]

import PIL
import Image
import _imaging

doesn't seem to show the problem (python-pil-1.1.7-1)

[jakosek]

Could you check also from PIL import ImageDraw, ImageFont

[jef]

hm, works for me too.

[mkuhn]

It failed for me when used by reportlab and integrating a .png file.

Are _imaging* files present in your apps/Python27/site-packages/PIL folder?

[jef]

Sure - as ​python-pil-1.1.7-1.tar.bz2 has them (did also verify that the standalone installers have them - in case this was not strictly about osgeo4w).

C:\OSGeo4W>python
Python 2.7.4 (default, Apr  6 2013, 19:54:46) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)] on win
32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> from PIL import ImageDraw, ImageFont
>>> import _imaging
>>> quit()

C:\OSGeo4W>dir /s /b _imaging*.*
C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PIL\_imaging.pyd
C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PIL\_imagingcms.pyd
C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PIL\_imagingft.pyd
C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PIL\_imagingmath.pyd
C:\OSGeo4W\apps\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PIL\_imagingtk.pyd

[jakosek]

As I remember problem with PIL was not missing files, but precompiled module with bad paramerets. Main problem is pointed on stackoverflow:

The freetype C library references a debug CRT that is not available on all machines. You can easily patch the _imagingft.pyd file with a hex editor.

Pillow modules work on all tested computers.

[jef]

python-pil upgraded to python-pillow

[mkuhn]

Thanks, @jef