How to install aggdraw with Python 2.7
Question: I'd like to use aggdraw with Python 2.7. (Is this a dumb idea anyway? I've
seen a nice aggdraw example, but I don't want to regress to Python 2.6. Is
there an equivalent drawing library working with Python 2.7?) I have Python
2.7.8 64bit installed on a Windows 7 Enterprise SP 1 64bit.

The installer at <http://www.effbot.org/downloads#aggdraw> complains about
Python 2.6 missing, and `python setup.py install` complains about a missing
`vcvarsall.bat`.

So, following all the related posts here, I installed the MS compiler from
<http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44266>. It's visible
in the "Programs and Features" list, and I have a `vcvarsall.bat` in
`C:\Users\d031475\AppData\Local\Programs\Common\Microsoft\Visual C++ for
Python\9.0` now.

Still, `python setup.py install` neither runs in CMD directly, nor in the `MS
Visual... Compiler for Python 2.7` command prompt which appeared in my Start
menu. It still complains about a missing `vcvarsall.bat`.

EDIT: Even when I append the relevant directory to my path, so that I can run
`vcvarsall.bat` from the command line, `python setup.py install` still
complains it can't find it. How strange is that?


Answer: To build with "Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7" you need to use
[setuptools >= 6.0](https://pypi.python.org/pypi/setuptools) instead of
distutils. Try to change the line `from distutils.core import setup,
Extension` in `setup.py` to `from setuptools import setup, Extension`.

You'll need to build against the [freetype library](http://www.freetype.org/)
to enable text rendering.

The aggdraw project appears to be abandoned. The latest [version
1.2a3](http://svn.effbot.org/public/aggdraw/) is from early 2006 and predates
Python 2.7, 64 bit, and Pillow. Expect crashes, especially on 64 bit for
Windows.

Unofficial Windows binaries for aggdraw are available at
<http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#misc>.

An alternative to aggdraw is [pycairo](http://cairographics.org/pycairo/)
([Windows binaries](http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#pycairo)).

