django OSError: no library called "cairo" was found on windows

Question

When I run the Django server, I see this problem !!

OSError: no library called "cairo" was found

no library called "libcairo-2" was found

cannot load library 'libcairo.so': error 0x7e

cannot load library 'libcairo.2.dylib': error 0x

cannot load library 'libcairo-2.dll': error 0x7e

Solution 1

WeasyPrint needs the Pango, cairo and GDK-PixBuf libraries. They are part of GTK+ (formerly known as GIMP Toolkit), and must be installed separately.

After installing GTK+ libraries, do :

python -m weasyprint http://weasyprint.org weasyprint.pdf

Solution 2

Installing GTK+ didn't work for me. I solved this problem using UniConverter2.0. My environments is

• Python 3.7
• Windows 10 x64

1. Install uniconvertor-2.0rc4-win64_headless.msi,
2. Find the "dll" sub-directory under the UniConverter installation path.(In my case, C:\Program Files\UniConvertor-2.0rc4\dlls)
3. Add this "dll" path to the system path.
4. Close VSCode and reopen the project.
5. Try to run the server again. Enjoy!

Solution 3

Starting from Python 3.8, dll's need to be added separately. Added GTK+, MSYS2, Visual Studio C Compiler and Uniconverter. But, nothing seemed to work. Finally, got it working after putting the script for calling add_dll_directory.

import os

def set_dll_search_path():
   # Python 3.8 no longer searches for DLLs in PATH, so we have to add
   # everything in PATH manually. Note that unlike PATH add_dll_directory
   # has no defined order, so if there are two cairo DLLs in PATH we
   # might get a random one.
   if os.name != "nt" or not hasattr(os, "add_dll_directory"):
       return
   for p in os.environ.get("PATH", "").split(os.pathsep):
       try:
           os.add_dll_directory(p)
       except OSError:
           pass


set_dll_search_path()

Source: PyCairo Windows Python3.8 Import Issue

Solution 4

See the solution here:

https://www.programmersought.com/article/47674569357/

You will need to add a path if not added after installations:

C:\Program Files\GTK3-Runtime Win64\bin

I have been solving it many times this way.

Solution 5

Ok I figure this out. you can have a 64 bit version of python that doesn't work. What I have found to work and this could change is the installing the 64 bit version of python from python's website, not from the Microsoft store!

1. remove any version of python you have installed
2. download https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.8.10/python-3.8.10-amd64.exe
3. install
4. download and install https://github.com/tschoonj/GTK-for-Windows-Runtime-Environment-Installer/releases
   1. exact link is https://github.com/tschoonj/GTK-for-Windows-Runtime-Environment-Installer/releases/download/2021-04-29/gtk3-runtime-3.24.29-2021-04-29-ts-win64.exe
   2. note that link is from https://doc.courtbouillon.org/weasyprint/stable/first_steps.html#windows
5. add bin folder from that (sorry it was somebody else's machine, I use Ubuntu) in your environment path.
6. run through the first steps on weasyprint and you should be good to go!

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Comments

[Umair]

I am still getting this error even after installing the GTK

[Mathador]

Do not forget to add the installed GTK+ lib to your system path, and restart your IDE so that the changes take effect.

[Srijwal R]

@Mathador agree.

[yishairasowsky]

@Mathador how do i add them to the path?

[Mathador]

Follow the instructions here: "gisaxs.com/index.php/View.gtk_installation" and replace "C:\GTK\bin" with the actual path where you installed the GTK package on your drive.

[Nick Garyu]

OMG this is what fixed for me after nothing else. Thanks!

[Didier L]

Yep, that did the trick! Seems to be an issue with Python installed from the Microsoft Store. I took Python 3.10.1 and it worked for me. Maybe just don’t put a direct link to a specific Python installer, just point to the official website like you did for the GTK installer. Also note that this way of installing Python does not provide the python3 command-line alias. Just use python instead.