title: Cannot install netCDF4 python package on OS X
body: <p>I'm trying to install netCDF4 on OS X with <code>pip install netCDF4</code> and I am getting the following error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>------------------------------------------------------------
  /usr/local/bin/pip run on Wed Aug  7 23:02:37 2013
  Downloading/unpacking netCDF4
  
    Running setup.py egg_info for package netCDF4
  
  
  
      HDF5_DIR environment variable not set, checking some standard locations ..
  
      checking /Users/mc ...
  
      checking /usr/local ...
  
      checking /sw ...
  
      checking /opt ...
  
      checking /opt/local ...
  
      checking /usr ...
  
      Traceback (most recent call last):
  
        File "&lt;string&gt;", line 16, in &lt;module&gt;
  
        File "/var/folders/jj/0w0dd3n16jq4g5579g6c7h040000gn/T/pip-build/netCDF4/setup.py", line 114, in &lt;module&gt;
  
          raise ValueError('did not find HDF5 headers')
  
      ValueError: did not find HDF5 headers
  
      Complete output from command python setup.py egg_info:
  
  
  
  HDF5_DIR environment variable not set, checking some standard locations ..
  
  checking /Users/mc ...
  
  checking /usr/local ...
  
  checking /sw ...
  
  checking /opt ...
  
  checking /opt/local ...
  
  checking /usr ...
  
  Traceback (most recent call last):
  
    File "&lt;string&gt;", line 16, in &lt;module&gt;
  
    File "/var/folders/jj/0w0dd3n16jq4g5579g6c7h040000gn/T/pip-build/netCDF4/setup.py", line 114, in &lt;module&gt;
  
      raise ValueError('did not find HDF5 headers')
  
  ValueError: did not find HDF5 headers
  
  ----------------------------------------
  
  Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in /var/folders/jj/0w0dd3n16jq4g5579g6c7h040000gn/T/pip-build/netCDF4
  
  Exception information:
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.3/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.2.1-py2.7.egg/pip/basecommand.py", line 107, in main
      status = self.run(options, args)
    File "/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.3/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.2.1-py2.7.egg/pip/commands/install.py", line 256, in run
      requirement_set.prepare_files(finder, force_root_egg_info=self.bundle, bundle=self.bundle)
    File "/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.3/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.2.1-py2.7.egg/pip/req.py", line 1042, in prepare_files
      req_to_install.run_egg_info()
    File "/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.3/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.2.1-py2.7.egg/pip/req.py", line 236, in run_egg_info
      command_desc='python setup.py egg_info')
    File "/usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.3/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pip-1.2.1-py2.7.egg/pip/util.py", line 612, in call_subprocess
      % (command_desc, proc.returncode, cwd))
  InstallationError: Command python setup.py egg_info failed with error code 1 in /var/folders/jj/0w0dd3n16jq4g5579g6c7h040000gn/T/pip-build/netCDF4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I already installed <code>HDF5</code> to <code>/usr/local/hdf5/</code> but I'm still getting the same error.  I'm a new to Python so any help will be greatly appreciated.</p>
  
  <p>Thank you.</p>