cannot install qiling: Failed building wheel for pillow

[k4lizen]

Following these installation instructions https://docs.qiling.io/en/latest/install/#:~:text=Pyenv%20Installation%20with%20latest%20dev%20branch%20%28recommended

I get:

$ pip install .
# snip
14/src/libImaging/codec_fd.o build/temp.linux-x86_64-cpython-314/src/map.o build/temp.linux-x86_64-cpython-314/src/outline.o build/temp.linux-x86_64-cpython-314/src/path.o -L/usr/lib -L/home/user/code/lakectf-25-26-internal/pwn-lots-of-patches/source/qilingenv/lib -L/opt/libjpeg-turbo/lib64 -L/usr/lib/libfakeroot -L/usr/local/lib -L/usr/lib -ltiff -ljpeg -lopenjp2 -lz -limagequant -lxcb -o build/lib.linux-x86_64-cpython-314/PIL/_imaging.cpython-314-x86_64-linux-gnu.so
      error: command '/usr/sbin/gcc' failed with exit code 1
      [end of output]
  
  note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
  ERROR: Failed building wheel for pillow
  Building wheel for unicodecsv (pyproject.toml) ... done
  Created wheel for unicodecsv: filename=unicodecsv-0.14.1-py3-none-any.whl size=10790 sha256=696fe0893ebd40c18ae17efcd87b2d2cfa3f65579571afa3303d04f7991d9ddc
  Stored in directory: /home/user/.cache/pip/wheels/09/0c/b4/99e61c0fd58e75cdb0679f413c17b8387a5fa7b7979c58f3cc
Successfully built qiling unicodecsv
Failed to build pillow

[notice] A new release of pip is available: 25.3 -> 26.0.1
[notice] To update, run: pip install --upgrade pip
error: failed-wheel-build-for-install

× Failed to build installable wheels for some pyproject.toml based projects
╰─> pillow
$ 

I'm on arch.

[sai-7i]

Same for me. It's likely that Arch uses Python 3.14, which is just too new.

[xlatbx59]

Same for me. It's likely that Arch uses Python 3.14, which is just too new.

That's the reason, you have to install python3.12 for qiling. But for me now, it says can't find qiling.arch.x86 when trying to import it with import_module().

[k4lizen]

you have to install python3.12 for qiling

Oh wow okay, this should for sure be in the installation docs.

it says can't find qiling.arch.x86 when trying to import it with import_module().

😔

[xwings]

Thanks for the report. The build/temp...cpython-314 path means this install is running under Python 3.14. We do not currently treat Python 3.14 as a supported Qiling install target, and on Arch the system python3 can move ahead of what Qiling's dependency set is ready for.

For now, please create the venv with Python 3.12 explicitly, then install from there:

1. pyenv install 3.12.11
2. pyenv local 3.12.11
3. python -m venv qilingenv && source qilingenv/bin/activate
4. python -m pip install -U pip setuptools wheel
5. from the Qiling checkout: python -m pip install .

I agree the install docs are misleading here; the current recipe uses python3 -m venv, which is not specific enough for rolling distributions.

If this still fails on Python 3.12, please attach the full python -m pip install -v . output, plus python -V, python -m pip -V, and the Qiling commit hash. The snippet above only shows the final Pillow build failure, not the first compiler error.

For the separate qiling.arch.x86 import error mentioned above: please include the exact traceback and install command after reinstalling in a clean Python 3.12 venv. That looks like a different packaging/import issue from this Pillow wheel build failure.

---

🤖 generated by review.py (codex)

[k4lizen]

following your instructions, i still have build/lib.linux-x86_64-cpython-314 in the build output and pillow failing. does this work for you in an arch container?

[xlatbx59]

For now, please create the venv with Python 3.12 explicitly, then install from there:

1. `pyenv install 3.12.11`

2. `pyenv local 3.12.11`

3. `python -m venv qilingenv && source qilingenv/bin/activate`

4. `python -m pip install -U pip setuptools wheel`

5. from the Qiling checkout: `python -m pip install .`

Did it like that it's working fine on my arch machine now thanks