libusb

libusb

Python binding for the libusb C library.

Overview

| Python |package_bold| 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* <https://libusb.info/>__ library.

PyPI record_.

Documentation_.

| |package_bold| 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 <http://api.libusb.info>__

|package_bold| 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:

.. code:: python

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 <https://libusb.info/>__:

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 <https://github.com/libusb/libusb/wiki/FAQ>__ or the Wiki <https://github.com/libusb/libusb/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:

• Python 3.10 or higher

  • https://www.python.org/
  • with C libusb 1.0.28 is a primary test environment.

• pip and setuptools

  • https://pypi.org/project/pip/
  • https://pypi.org/project/setuptools/

To install run:

.. parsed-literal::

python -m pip install --upgrade |package|

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:

.. parsed-literal::

git clone |respository| |package|

and run:

.. parsed-literal::

python -m pip install ./|package|

or on development mode:

.. parsed-literal::

python -m pip install --editable ./|package|

License

| |copyright| | Licensed under the zlib/libpng License | https://opensource.org/license/zlib | Please refer to the accompanying LICENSE file.

Authors

• Adam Karpierz [e-mail]

.. |package| replace:: libusb .. |package_bold| replace:: libusb .. |copyright| replace:: Copyright (c) 2016-2025 Adam Karpierz .. |respository| replace:: https://github.com/karpierz/libusb.git .. _Development page: https://github.com/karpierz/libusb .. _PyPI record: https://pypi.org/project/libusb/ .. _Documentation: https://libusb.readthedocs.io/ .. _USB Vendors: https://devicehunt.com/all-usb-vendors

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.