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Install

python -m pip install elliprof

This installs the elliprof command and the elliprof Python package. The packages on PyPI are prebuilt, so you need no Fortran compiler and no separate CFITSIO installation.

Check that it works:

elliprof            # a short introduction
elliprof -v         # version, original developer and maintainer
elliprof -h         # full help: every parameter, option and example

python -m elliprof does the same as elliprof. That helps when the command is not on your PATH.

Updating

elliprof --check-update   # is a newer version on PyPI? (installs nothing)
elliprof --update         # install it; elliprof -u is the same

elliprof --update runs python -m pip install --upgrade elliprof with the same Python that runs elliprof, so the new version lands where the old one was. In a conda environment, or a system Python that pip may not change ("externally managed"), update elliprof the way you installed it. A source checkout or editable install is updated with git, not with --update.

After a fit in an interactive terminal, elliprof asks PyPI at most once a day, in the background, whether a newer version exists, and prints one line if so. It never installs anything by itself, never delays a fit, and is silent offline and in scripts or batch jobs. Set ELLIPROF_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1 to turn the check off. An installed pre-release (a release candidate such as 0.2.0rc1) is not offered updates by --check-update, --update or this notice; update it with pip directly.

Supported systems
Python 3.6 through 3.14
Linux x86_64, aarch64, ppc64le, s390x, riscv64 (glibc, "manylinux"); x86_64, aarch64 (musl, e.g. Alpine). ppc64le, s390x and riscv64 are validated under QEMU emulation, not yet on native hardware
macOS Intel (x86_64): 10.13 High Sierra or newer. Apple Silicon (arm64): 11 Big Sur or newer
Windows x86_64

Python and the operating system are separate requirements. A supported Python on an unsupported operating system still cannot install elliprof.

If pip says "No matching distribution found"

pip found no elliprof build for your computer. The usual reasons:

  • a Python older than 3.6;
  • an old pip that does not recognise current package names;
  • an operating system older than the minimum above;
  • a processor with no elliprof build, for example a 32-bit system.

First check what you have:

python --version
python -m pip --version
uname -m        # x86_64 = Intel/AMD, arm64/aarch64 = ARM

If Python is between 3.6 and 3.14, upgrade pip and try again:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip
python -m pip install elliprof

On Python 3.6 the newest pip is 21.3.1: python -m pip install "pip==21.3.1".

Virtual environments

If your system Python is managed by the operating system, or you do not want to mix packages, make a virtual environment first:

python -m venv elliprof-env
source elliprof-env/bin/activate      # Windows: elliprof-env\Scripts\activate
python -m pip install elliprof

Optional packages

  • astropy is needed only by the Python helper elliprof.load_mask when it reads FITS masks. elliprof itself reads and writes FITS without it.
  • For the plots on this site you also need matplotlib. See Scripts behind the figures.

Reporting a problem

elliprof --diagnostics prints the versions, Python, operating system, architecture and backend location. Include its output when you report an issue at https://github.com/ekourkchi/elliprof/issues.