Expert Multimedia - Using Python - Official Page

# Installing Kivy for Python 3

(see also Linux Instructions)

These steps are recommended now since Kivy can work along with a standard python installation, as a "wheel" (package) delivered by "pip" (python package management system). You can safely ignore (skip) the color areas (untested future ready options), and the light ghosted areas (tips, such as doing the step the long way).

(These steps are required [instead of the official instructions (opens new window)] since as of Nov 2016 there is no sdl2 for Python 3.5, so Python 3.4 and a manually-downloaded wheel is required; also, because a weird Windows update is needed)

Update Windows for Windows 7, install Windows6.1-KB2999226-x86.msu (opens new window)

If you don't have Python Yet, get it here (opens new window) or the long way:

  • Download Python 3.4.4 [Go to the Python Releases for Windows (opens new window) page (or Go to python.org (opens new window), Downloads, Windows)
  • Beside Python 3.4.4 (the last version of 3.4 that will have Windows binaries), click Download]
  • Scroll down and click Windows x86-64 MSI installer
  • (you must get python 3.4 since sdl2 is not on python 3.5 yet as of November 2016--otherwise go to latest version instead)
  • Scroll down and choose 64-bit Windows

After you have Python:

  • Double-click the 64-bit Python 3.4 installer (or skip to 3.5 instructions)
  • Install for All users (this will change destination to C:\Python34
  • Click "Next"
  • Click 'x' by Add Python to Path and change it to "Entire Feature"
  • Click "Next"
  • Wait then click "Finish" when it is done.

Now that Python is installed, update pip and wheel and install kivy wheel:

  • (Windows 10) right-click Windows menu then "Command Prompt (Admin)"
  • type:
python --version

(if version 3 or higher is not shown, close Command Prompt and try uninstalling python and trying the steps above again, making sure you check environment variables option)

Now you can follow the instructions to install the wheel as per https://kivy.org/docs/installation/installation-windows.html#install-win-dist (shown below):

python -m pip install --upgrade pip wheel setuptools
python -m pip install docutils pygments pypiwin32 kivy.deps.sdl2 kivy.deps.glew

(if you get an error that says sdl2 cannot be found, it is not available for your version of Python yet. Try installing Python 3.4.4 as per the instructions above. This is due to "upstream" issues, aka someone outside of the Kivy project didn't include the package gstreamer, which Kivy uses, on pip for your version of python yet)

Either way, install gstreamer wheel manually using the steps below, since the package is not available due to similar packaging issues:

cd C:\WINDOWS\Temp
python -m pip install kivy.deps.gstreamer-0.1.6-cp34-none-win_amd64.whl
python -m pip install kivy

# [optional] Installing Kivy 1.9.0 with its own Python

  • Download the self-extracting 7-zip file such as Kivy-1.9.0-py3.4-win32-x86.exe (recommended) from kivy.org (opens new window)
  • Open/Run the file
  • Before clicking Extract, erase the Extract to field and change it to only C:\ (you must include the backslash [or it will just extract to downloads or wherever you saved it] but no other info is needed--it will make a subfolder automatically since the archive contains a folder such as Kivy-1.9.0-py3.4-win32-x86)
  • Wait for the extraction to finish. The result will be that Kivy is installed such as to C:\Kivy-1.9.0-py3.4-win32-x86
  • To make apps you can use PyCharm Community Edition distributed for free under the Apache License and then follow the tutorials on this website!

# [optional] Installing Kivy 1.8.0 for Python 3

(includes link to Expert Multimedia installer script with additional script placing it in the SendTo menu of another user)

  • Download (opens new window) the Expert Multimedia repack with easy installer (or try here (opens new window), or for latest Kivy news and version without easy installer go here (opens new window))
  • Extract All Files, then run the Install Kivy script.
  • If desired, also open "Create Userspace SendTo shortcut" which will allow you (while logged in to each Windows profile you used to double-click it) to right-click py files (must be py not pyw) and then click "Send to" "Kivy 1.8.0 Python 3"
  • Since Kivy is x86 architecture, you will first need the Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable Package (x86) (opens new window) in order to run Kivy programs (otherwise when running you will get the LiClipse error "Program Terminated" or when running outside LiClipse you will get the the Windowse error "The program can’t start because MSVCR100.dll is missing from your computer.").

← Using PyCharm for Kivy app development →