"sys/time.h" missing from Include folders

Question

Hi, I have been trying to install the Python package ElPeriodic (through pip install ElPeriodic). It gave an error asking for the installation of the C++ Build Tools for Visual Studio, so I installed Visual Studio Community 2022. During the installation I checked the following workloads: Python development (plus optional 'Python native development tools'), Desktop development with C++, Universal Windows Platform development, Visual Studio extension development. After the installation of VS 2022, and a reboot, I tried to pip install ElPeriodic once more but it keeps giving me the following error:

"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.38.33130\bin\HostX86\x64\cl.exe" 
/c /nologo /O2 /W3 /GL /DNDEBUG /MD  
-IC:\Users\gaan\AppData\Local\anaconda3\envs\k3_analysis\include 
-IC:\Users\gaan\AppData\Local\anaconda3\envs\k3_analysis\Include 
"-IC:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.38.33130\include" 
"-IC:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.38.33130\ATLMFC\include" 
"-IC:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Community\VC\Auxiliary\VS\include" 
"-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\include\10.0.22621.0\ucrt" 
"-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22621.0\\um" 
"-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22621.0\\shared" 
"-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22621.0\\winrt" 
"-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\incl ude\10.0.22621.0\\cppwinrt" 
"-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\NETFXSDK\4.8\include\um" 
/Tcsrc/periodic.c /Fobuild\temp.win-amd64-cpython-38\Release\src/periodic.obj       
periodic.c       
src/periodic.c(27): fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'sys/time.h': No such file or directory
error: command 'C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\2022\\Community\\VC\\Tools\\MSVC\\14.38.33130\\bin\\HostX86\\x64\\cl.exe' failed with exit code 2 

The problem is the missing header file 'sys/time.h'. In fact, there is no 'time.h' file in \Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\include\10.0.22621.0\ucrt\sys". I have already tried to uninstall and reinstall several times, including performing a repair procedure and an install cleanup followed by a new installation from a newly downloaded installer. Since VS 2022 sets up the C/C++ compiler, I assume the lack of this header file is an issue stemming from the installation of VS 2022. I would appreciate any and all suggestions on how to fix this issue, thank you for your help!

Answer 1

The error you're encountering with the ElPeriodic Python package installation is due to a missing sys/time.h header file. This issue typically arises because sys/time.h is a Unix-specific header file and is not available in the standard library of Windows, which is what Visual Studio targets. Here are a few suggestions to resolve this issue: Use Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL): One way to get around this is to use the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). WSL allows you to run a Linux environment directly on Windows, including most command-line tools, utilities, and applications. This way, you can install and use packages that depend on Unix-specific headers. Modify the Source Code (if Possible): If you have access to the source code of ElPeriodic, and it's permissible to modify it, you can try replacing the sys/time.h inclusion with equivalent functionality available in Windows. However, this could be complex and may not be feasible depending on your familiarity with the codebase and the complexity of the package. Use a Compatibility Layer: There are libraries like Cygwin or MinGW that provide a Unix-like environment and toolchain for Windows. These tools might include the sys/time.h header. However, using these might require you to compile the package from source, which can be a complex process. Check for Alternate Versions or Forks: Sometimes, popular libraries have alternate versions or forks that are adapted for compatibility with different operating systems. Check if there's a version of ElPeriodic or a similar library that's designed to work on Windows.

1. Use a Virtual Machine: Running a Linux virtual machine on your Windows system is another way to gain access to a Unix-like environment. You can use tools like VirtualBox or VMware for this purpose. This approach is more resource-intensive than WSL but can be more flexible in some scenarios. I hope it helps.