Libusb Python Package (Installer)

1.0.26.3 · active · verified Sat Apr 11

libusb-package is a Python library that functions primarily as an installation vehicle for the libusb shared C libraries, making it easier to install tools and applications that require libusb, such as pyusb. It bundles the necessary libusb binaries for various platforms and architectures, simplifying deployment by avoiding manual libusb installation. The package is actively maintained, with version 1.0.26.3 being the latest, and receives updates to support new Python versions and upstream libusb releases.

Warnings

breaking Python 3.6 support was officially dropped starting with `libusb-package` v1.0.26.1.
Fix: Upgrade your Python environment to 3.7 or newer.
gotcha On Windows, `libusb-package` installs the `libusb` DLL, but it *does not* install the necessary device drivers (e.g., WinUSB or libusbK). Users must manually install these drivers for their specific USB devices, often using tools like Zadig. Without the correct driver, your Python application will not be able to access the USB device.
Fix: Install the appropriate USB driver (e.g., WinUSB, libusbK) for your device using a tool like Zadig after installing `libusb-package`.
gotcha If `libusb-package` is installed from a source distribution and the underlying C `libusb` build fails (e.g., due to missing build tools), the Python package installation will still succeed but will result in an 'empty' `libusb-package` that does not contain the shared library. In such cases, `libusb_package.get_library_path()` will return `None`, and `find_library()` will fall back to `ctypes.util.find_library()` to search for a system-wide `libusb` installation.
Fix: Ensure all necessary build dependencies (e.g., autoconf, automake, Visual Studio) are installed before attempting a source installation, or ensure a pre-built wheel is available for your platform and Python version.
gotcha Versions of `libusb-package` prior to 1.0.24.1 had an issue with the `functools.lru_cache()` decorator that prevented it from working correctly on Python versions earlier than 3.9.
Fix: Upgrade `libusb-package` to version 1.0.24.1 or newer, or ensure you are running Python 3.9+.
deprecated The internal usage of `importlib.resources` API was replaced in v1.0.26.2 due to deprecation. While this was an internal change, direct interaction with `libusb_package`'s resource loading mechanisms (if any existed in user code) might require review.
Fix: No user-facing fix is typically required unless custom code was deeply coupled with `libusb_package`'s internal resource handling. Ensure you are on the latest version for internal compatibility.

Install

pip install libusb-package Install latest version

Imports

libusb_package
```
import libusb_package
```

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to import `libusb_package` and use its `find_library` function to provide a backend for `pyusb`, allowing `pyusb` to utilize the libusb shared library bundled within `libusb-package`. It then attempts to find a generic USB device (replace with your actual Vendor/Product ID).

import libusb_package
import usb.core
import usb.backend.libusb1

# Get a PyUSB backend using the bundled libusb library
backend = usb.backend.libusb1.get_backend(find_library=libusb_package.find_library)

# Use the backend to find USB devices (example with pyusb)
dev = usb.core.find(idVendor=0xffff, idProduct=0xffff, backend=backend)

if dev is None:
    print("Device not found. Make sure it's connected and drivers are installed (especially on Windows).")
else:
    print(f"Found device: {dev.product} (Bus {dev.bus}, Address {dev.address})")
    # Further operations with 'dev' using pyusb

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