Trying to install PIL "pip install PIL" and got this error.

gistfile1.txt

building '_imagingft' extension

gcc -pthread -fno-strict-aliasing -march=x86-64 -mtune=generic -O2 -pipe -fstack-protector --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -DNDEBUG -march=x86-64 -mtune=generic -O2 -pipe -fstack-protecto
r --param=ssp-buffer-size=4 -fPIC -I/usr/include/freetype2 -IlibImaging -I/home/cafeerp/instances/cafeerp_ocb7/include -I/usr/local/include -I/usr/include -I/usr/include/python2.7 -
c _imagingft.c -o build/temp.linux-x86_64-2.7/_imagingft.o

_imagingft.c:73:31: fatal error: freetype/fterrors.h: No such file or directory

 #include <freetype/fterrors.h>

                               ^

compilation terminated.

The version of freetype is 2, I guess it's the problem.

I'm using ArchLinux and the default "include" folder there's no folder freetype only freetype2.
I have created a symbolic link and everything works.
Maybe it's works in another distros like Ubuntu and etc.

cd /usr/include
ln -s freetype2 freetype

here the output:

    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    PIL 1.1.7 SETUP SUMMARY
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    version       1.1.7
    platform      linux2 2.7.6 (default, Nov 26 2013, 12:52:49)
                  [GCC 4.8.2]
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    *** TKINTER support not available
    --- JPEG support available
    --- ZLIB (PNG/ZIP) support available
    --- FREETYPE2 support available
    --- LITTLECMS support available
    --------------------------------------------------------------------
    To add a missing option, make sure you have the required
    library, and set the corresponding ROOT variable in the
    setup.py script.

    To check the build, run the selftest.py script.
    changing mode of build/scripts-2.7/pilfile.py from 644 to 755
    changing mode of build/scripts-2.7/pildriver.py from 644 to 755
    changing mode of build/scripts-2.7/pilfont.py from 644 to 755
    changing mode of build/scripts-2.7/pilprint.py from 644 to 755
    changing mode of build/scripts-2.7/pilconvert.py from 644 to 755

    changing mode of /home/cafeerp/instances/cafeerp_ocb7/bin/pilfile.py to 755
    changing mode of /home/cafeerp/instances/cafeerp_ocb7/bin/pildriver.py to 755
    changing mode of /home/cafeerp/instances/cafeerp_ocb7/bin/pilfont.py to 755
    changing mode of /home/cafeerp/instances/cafeerp_ocb7/bin/pilprint.py to 755
    changing mode of /home/cafeerp/instances/cafeerp_ocb7/bin/pilconvert.py to 755
Successfully installed PIL
Cleaning up...

The symlink line worked for me on Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS, thanks!

Worked for me too. Thanks!

Ubuntu Server 14.04 LTS working fine now! tnx!

works! Thanks!

works! thanks! 👍

works! thanks!

works! thanks!

works, thanks! (Mint-Qiana-Xfce-64, based on Ubuntu Trusty)

works too on debian wheezy ;D

Works nicely. Thanks!

Just works, thanks !!

works, thx

Also works for me, thank you very much!

Had same problem with django-lfs. Symlink helped, thanks!

Thanks!

it works nicely Thanks bro

Worked too! Thanks

Worked perfectly, thank you!

Symbolic link also fixes the issue on Fedora Core 22.

Worked on Dockerfile using From ubuntu 14.0.2

Trick worked on Fedora 22. Thanks.

Altering the directory structure in an actively maintained distro to work around a bug in someone's installation script, is not the right way to solve the problem. It would be better to go back to the author of the PIL setup and ask them to fix it.

The directory structure have changed a bit in Ubuntu 16.04, but this workaround fixed the problem:

ln -s /usr/include/freetype2/freetype /usr/include/freetype

@ricgu8086 Thanks! Worked perfectly.