4.5 Installing Connector/Python from a Source Distribution

The Connector/Python source distribution is platform independent, and is packaged in the compressed tar archive format (.tar.gz file). See Obtaining Connector/Python) on how to download them.

Prerequisites for Compiling Connector/Python with the C Extension

Source distributions include the C Extension that interfaces with the MySQL C client library. You can build the distribution with or without support for this extension. To build Connector/Python with support for the C Extension, the following prerequisites must be satisfied:

Compiling tools:
- For Linux platforms: A C/C++ compiler, such as gcc.
- For Windows platforms: Current version of Visual Studio.
Python development files.
For installing the classic interface only: MySQL Server binaries (server may be installed or not installed on the system), including development files (to obtain the MySQL Server binaries, visit the MySQL download site).
For installing the X DevAPI interface only: Protobuf C++ (version 5.29.4).

Installing Connector/Python from Source Code Using `pip`

Note

We recommend leveraging python virtual environments to encapsulate the package installation instead of installing packages directly into the Python system environment.

For installing the classic interface:

Download the latest version of the sdist of Connector/Python for the classic MySQL protocol, whose name is in the format of mysql_connector_python-x.y.z.tar.gz.
Optional: To include the C Extension, use these steps to provide the path to the installation directory of MySQL Server (or to the folder where the server binaries are located) with the MYSQL_CAPI system variable before running the installation step. On Linux platforms:
```
 $ export MYSQL_CAPI=<path to server binaries> 
```
On Windows platforms:
```
 > $env:MYSQL_CAPI=<path to server binaries>
```
Note
It is not required that the server is actually installed on the system; for compiling the C-extension, the presence of libraries are sufficient
Perform the installation using this command:
```
 pip install ./mysql_connector_python-x.y.z.tar.gz
```
Warning
DO NOT use mysql-connector-python instead of ./mysql_connector_python-x.y.z.tar.gz, as the former will install the WHEEL package from the PyPI repository, and the latter will install the local WHEEL that is compiled from the source code.

For installing X DevAPI:

Download the latest version of the sdist of Connector/Python for the MySQL X Protocol, whose name is in the format of mysqlx_connector_python-x.y.z.tar.gz.

Optional: To include the Protobuf C-Extension, use these commands on Linux platforms to provide the paths to the Protobuf folders by the MYSQLXPB_* system variables before the installation step:

 $ export MYSQLXPB_PROTOBUF=<path to protobuf binaries>
 $ export MYSQLXPB_PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR="${MYSQLXPB_PROTOBUF}/include"
 $ export MYSQLXPB_PROTOBUF_LIB_DIR="${MYSQLXPB_PROTOBUF}/lib"
 $ export MYSQLXPB_PROTOC="${MYSQLXPB_PROTOBUF}/bin/protoc"

Or these commands on Windows platforms:

 > $env:PROTOBUF=<path to protobuf binaries>
 > $env:PROTOBUF_INCLUDE_DIR=$env:PROTOBUF+"\include"
 > $env:PROTOBUF_LIB_DIR=$env:PROTOBUF+"\lib"
 > $env:PROTOC=$env:PROTOBUF+"\bin\protoc.exe"

Perform the installation using this command:
```
 pip install ./mysqlx_connector_python-x.y.z.tar.gz
```
Warning
DO NOT use mysqlx-connector-python instead of ./mysqlx_connector_python-x.y.z.tar.gz, as the former will install the WHEEL package from the PyPI repository, and the latter will install the local WHEEL that is compiled from the source code.