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Python binding for the libusb C library.

Project description

libusb

Python binding for the libusb C library.

Overview

Python libusb module is a low-level binding for libusb C library.
It is an effort to allow python programs full access to the API implemented and provided by the well known *libusb* library.

PyPI record.

Documentation.

libusb is a lightweight Python package, based on the ctypes library.
It is fully compliant implementation of the original C libusb 1.0 API by implementing whole its functionality in a clean Python instead of C.

libusb API 1.0 documentation can be found at:

libusb-1.0 API Reference

libusb uses the underlying libusb C shared library as specified in libusb.cfg (included libusb-X.X.* is the default), but there is also ability to specify it programmatically by one of the following ways:

import libusb
libusb.config(LIBUSB="libusb C shared library absolute path")
# or
libusb.config(LIBUSB=None)  # included libusb-X.X.* will be used

About original libusb:

Borrowed from the original website:

libusb - A cross-platform user library to access USB devices

Overview

libusb is a C library that provides generic access to USB devices. It is intended to be used by developers to facilitate the production of applications that communicate with USB hardware.

It is portable: Using a single cross-platform API, it provides access to USB devices on Linux, OS X, Windows, Android, OpenBSD, etc.

It is user-mode: No special privilege or elevation is required for the application to communicate with a device.

It is version-agnostic: All versions of the USB protocol, from 1.0 to 3.1 (latest), are supported.

What platforms are supported?

Linux, OS X, Windows, Windows CE, Android, OpenBSD/NetBSD, Haiku.

For additional information, please consult the FAQ or the Wiki.

Requirements

  • It is a fully independent package.
    All necessary things are installed during the normal installation process.
  • ATTENTION: currently works and tested only for Windows.

Installation

Prerequisites:

To install run:

python -m pip install --upgrade libusb

Development

Prerequisites:

  • Development is strictly based on tox. To install it run:

    python -m pip install --upgrade tox

Visit Development page.

Installation from sources:

clone the sources:

git clone https://github.com/karpierz/libusb.git libusb

and run:

python -m pip install ./libusb

or on development mode:

python -m pip install --editable ./libusb

License

Copyright (c) 2016-2025 Adam Karpierz
Licensed under the zlib/libpng License
Please refer to the accompanying LICENSE file.

Authors

Changelog

1.0.29 (2025-06-30)

  • Libusb API update: v.1.0.28 -> v.1.0.29

  • Upgrade of dll-s for Windows: libusb v.1.0.28 -> v.1.0.29

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

1.0.28.post2 (2025-05-15)

  • The distribution is now created using ‘build’ instead of ‘setuptools’.

  • Setup (dependencies) update (due to regressions in tox and setuptools).

1.0.28.post1 (2025-05-04)

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

1.0.28 (2025-04-28)

  • Add support for Python 3.14

  • Drop support for Python 3.9 (due to compatibility issues).

  • Update readthedocs’s python to version 3.13

  • Update tox’s base_python to version 3.13

  • Libusb API update: v.1.0.27 -> v.1.0.28

  • Upgrade of dll-s for Windows: libusb v.1.0.27 -> v.1.0.28

  • Add support for PyPy 3.11

  • Drop support for PyPy 3.9

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

1.0.27.post4 (2025-02-14)

  • Windows shared libraries built with Visual Studio 2022.

  • Source distribution (*.tar.gz now) is compliant with PEP-0625.

  • 100% code linting.

  • Tox configuration is now in native (toml) format.

  • Copyright year update.

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

1.0.27.post3 (2024-10-09)

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

1.0.27.post2 (2024-09-30)

  • Drop support for Python 3.8

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

1.0.27.post1 (2024-08-13)

  • Add support for Python 3.13

  • Setup (dependencies) update.

  • Improvements and cleanup for win32.

  • Source code refactoring and cleanup.

1.0.27 (2024-02-05)

  • The API has been fully updated to version 1.0.27 (libusb v.1.0.27
    is fully backward compatible with v.1.0.26).
  • For Windows the shared library binaries have been updated to version
    1.0.27. For Linux and macOS, the shared library binaries remain at
    version 1.0.26.
  • Bugfixes for options -i and -w in examples/xusb.py

1.0.26 (2024-02-05)

  • The API has been partially updated to version 1.0.27, but still
    only supports version 1.0.26.
  • Improvements and some little bugfixes.

  • Examples and tests are upgraded to 1.0.27.

1.0.26rc4 (2024-01-25)

  • Setup update (now based on tox >= 4.0).

  • Cleanup.

1.0.26rc2 (2023-12-20)

  • Add linux aarch64 support.

1.0.26rc1 (2023-12-15)

  • Add support for Python 3.12

  • Drop support for Python 3.7

  • Add support for PyPy 3.10

  • Drop support for PyPy 3.7 and 3.8

  • Copyright year update.

1.0.26b5 (2022-09-10)

  • Tox configuration has been moved to pyproject.toml

1.0.26b4 (2022-08-25)

  • Downgrade of included shared libraries for Linux:
    libusb v.1.0.26 -> v.1.0.24 (for now based on Debian’s 11 (bullseye)),
    because of loading issues of v.1.0.26 from Debian’s 12 (bookworm)
    shared libraries.
  • Setup update.

1.0.26b3 (2022-07-25)

  • Setup update (currently based mainly on pyproject.toml).

  • Update for macOS (dlls are included for v.10.7+ and v.11.6+ 64bit).

1.0.26b2 (2022-07-18)

  • Upgrade for Windows: libusb v.1.0.24 -> v.1.0.26

  • Update for macOS (v.11.6 64bit).

  • Add support for Python 3.10 and 3.11

  • Add support for PyPy 3.7, 3.8 and 3.9

  • Setup update.

1.0.24b3 (2022-01-10)

  • Drop support for Python 3.6

  • Copyright year update.

  • Setup update.

1.0.24b1 (2021-11-10)

  • Upgrade for Windows: libusb v.1.0.23 -> v.1.0.24

  • Add support for macOS (thank you very much dccote@Github!).

  • Copyright year update.

  • backward incompatibility - libusb.cfg is now a regular INI file.

  • Fixes for examples (but still some examples don’t work properly).

  • Setup update.

1.0.23b7 (2020-11-19)

  • Ability to specify the underlying shared library programmatically.

  • General update and cleanup.

  • Setup update.

  • Removing dependence on atpublic.

  • Fixed docs setup.

  • Fix for hotplugtest example.

1.0.23b1 (2020-09-15)

  • Upgrade for Windows: libusb v.1.0.22 -> v.1.0.23
    (partially; without libusb_wrap_sys_device, because
    original Windows v.1.0.23 dlls do not export this function).
  • Add support for Python 3.9

  • Drop support for Python 3.5

  • Setup update.

  • Cleanup.

1.0.22b9 (2020-01-17)

  • Added ReadTheDocs config file.

  • Setup update.

1.0.22b8 (2019-11-24)

  • Upgrade for Linux: libusb x64 v.1.0.21 -> v.1.0.22

  • Fix for error when the shared library is configured.

  • Cleanup.

1.0.22b6 (2019-11-23)

  • Initial support for Linux (libusb v.1.0.21 x64).

1.0.22b5 (2019-11-14)

  • Drop support for Python 2

  • Drop support for Python 3.4

  • Add support for Python 3.8

  • Setup update and cleanup.

1.0.22b4 (2019-02-15)

  • Setup improvement.

  • Update required setuptools version.

  • Some updates of examples.

1.0.22b2 (2018-11-08)

  • Setup improvement.

  • Update required setuptools version.

1.0.22b1 (2018-03-30)

  • Upgrade to the libusb v.1.0.22

  • Setup improvement.

1.0.21b4 (2018-02-26)

  • Improve and simplify setup and packaging.

1.0.21b3 (2018-02-25)

  • Setup improvement.

1.0.21b2 (2017-12-18)

  • Fix the error of platform detecting.

1.0.21b1 (2017-10-11)

  • First beta release.

1.0.21a3 (2017-08-20)

  • Next alpha release.

1.0.21a0 (2016-09-24)

  • First alpha release.

0.0.1 (2016-09-23)

  • Initial release.

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