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# Installing PIL

## Introduction

The Images API uses the Python Imaging Library (PIL) locally to transform images during testing on your local machine. You'll need to download the PIL module and install it on your local machine to use the Images API with the SDK.

- Installing PIL on Windows
- Installing PIL on Mac OS X
- Installing PIL on Linux

## Installing PIL on Windows

To install PIL on Windows:

1. Download the Windows installer from the PIL website.
2. Double-click on the installer to start the installation process.
3. Choose the correct directory.
4. Finish the installation.

## Installing PIL on Mac OS X

To install PIL on Mac OS X 10.4 and higher:

1. Download the PIL .dmg file. For example, you can download the PIL 1.1.6 .dmg file from http://pythonmac.org/packages/py25-fat/index.html.
2. Double-click on the installer to start the installation process.
3. Choose the correct directory.
4. Finish the installation.

Note: If you have trouble installing PIL and you use Python 2.4, try PIL 1.1.5, which you can download from http://pythonmac.org/packages/py24-fat/index.html. Another alternative is to download the PIL 1.1.7 source from http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/ and install it manually.

If you use MacPorts (formerly known as DarwinPorts), you may find this site helpful:

- Installing Python PIL on Mac OS X 10.5.2 Leopard

## Installing PIL on Linux

Use the following command to install PIL on Linux:

      sudo apt-get install python-imaging

Note: On some Linux distributions, PIL is installed with incorrect permissions, which makes it unusable. The solution is to make sure that user accounts can read the files, e.g. `/usr/lib/python2.5/site-packages/PIL/*.so`.