# Error in "build Special Functions

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015>\
**Category:** New to Julia\
**Tags:** package\
**Created:** [July 31, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015 "2019-07-31T04:21:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 16\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/1 "2019-07-31T04:21:00Z")

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Hi all, this is a question haunting me for a while. I am using win10 as the admin. I can’t run “build SpecialFunctions” in Julia client. The julia 1.0.4 is indeed run as admin. The error says

 ![Error](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/4/9/492f26d3128c5086a66e6448ef92bfd283ac001f.png)

I did some google on the first warning and then clicked “Developer Mode” in the setting. It didn’t solve the issue. For the second warning I had no clue what it meant.

Thanks for any suggestion.

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**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/2 "2019-07-31T04:30:11Z")

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The first step is to upgrade Julia to the current stable release (v1.1.1). Then try

```julia
pkg> rm SpecialFunctions
pkg> add SpecialFunctions

```

and without explicitly building it (ignoring any messages for the moment), just see if it works

```julia
julia> using SpecialFunctions
julia> besselj0(0.5)
0.9384698072408129

```

if it does not work, or errors on `precompiling`, then

```julia
pkg> build SpecialFunctions

```

and try using it as above. If it still does not work, post the precompile errors and the build errors … SpecialFunctions has had issues and updating to Julia v1.1.1 helped me get it working. I don’t know that you will find the same thing happens; it is worth trying.

(you should not need developer mode or admin windows … the message about symlinks can be ignored without difficulty – as far as I know)

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**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/3 "2019-07-31T05:31:17Z")

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Much appreciation for the prompt reply. Unfortunately the same errors reappeared.

Error at precompling SpeicalFunctions:

 ![Error1](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/0/1/01daccebfaca085450bdc5149d1b26c19dc6f4ea.png)

Error at building SpecialFunctions

 ![Error2](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/c/3/c327c5c0c87e7fc8a100ce6f17bb261576f7dfb2.png)

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**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 5:38am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/4 "2019-07-31T05:38:44Z")

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ok – I don’t know what to do so I am mentioning your thread on the math channel at Julia’s Slack, someone who reads that will be familiar with this issue – although you may need to wait a while for them to be awake.

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**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 5:50am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/5 "2019-07-31T05:50:16Z")

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One last thing to try

```julia
pkg> rm SpecialFunctions
pkg> add SpecialFunctions#master
julia> using SpecialFunctions

```

(otherwise wait for a more informed response 🙂 )

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**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 6:00am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/6 "2019-07-31T06:00:20Z")

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under `deps` there is a directory `usr` – delete that directory and try to get SpecialFunctions once again (there is a known issue that this resolves, whether it fixes things for you is to be seen). If that does not work … delete the fvheQ directory and if you have  
C:\Users\(your user name).julia\compiled\v1.1\SpecialFunctions  
delete that directory too, then try to get Special Functions once again.  
After that – I dunno.

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**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 6:05am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/7 "2019-07-31T06:05:08Z")

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Yes, I find several docs under the folder fvheQ

 ![Error4](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/8/2/82bfe331f4ee136d313672fe36be5764d8f3194e.png)

My win10 system is default in Chinese, and I may not change to English in the setting…

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**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 6:09am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/8 "2019-07-31T06:09:36Z")

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please see my last note for directions (that it is in Chinese should make no difference).

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**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/9 "2019-07-31T11:58:13Z")

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Here is a note from Slack:

[Cormullion](https://app.slack.com/team/U69EQD0CD) [\< 1 minute ago](https://julialang.slack.com/archives/C67EFTEF3/p1564574136050600?thread_ts=1564552356.050400&cid=C67EFTEF3)  
SpecialFunctions is the only package that gives me any problems these days (apart from Cairo.jl :)). It usually fails to install first time, with errors such as

┌ Error: Error building `SpecialFunctions`:  
│ gfortran -m64 -O2 -fPIC -fPIC -c amos/d1mach.f -o amos/d1mach.f.o  
│ make: gfortran: No such file or directory  
│ make: \*\*\* [amos/d1mach.f.o] Error 1  
│ [Info: Downloading [https://github.com/JuliaLang/openlibm/archive/v0.5.4.tar.gz](https://slack-redir.net/link?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgithub.com%2FJuliaLang%2Fopenlibm%2Farchive%2Fv0.5.4.tar.gz) to /var/folders/0n/rxl1scks0f19tnxt9pgjcs\_40000gp/T/juliaBwbaDX-download.gz…, then you try it again, possibly twice, and it works. Actually the first error does say `Please re-run Pkg.build("SpecialFunctions"), and restart Julia.` so perhaps it just needs a few attempts.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 9:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/10 "2019-07-31T21:51:10Z")

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Hi Jeffrey, thanks a lot for all tips! The issues are still there after several tries. I also encountered the similar issue when building “Arpack” to test package “Distributions”.

 ![Error5](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/original/3X/b/0/b0768acfab1bb977d2de1dcf5cbb9fd88ab896b4.png)

So I guess my problem may be not specific to SpecialFunctions that is necessary for me to use JuMP

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![JeffreySarnoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/jeffreysarnoff/32/1980_2.png) [@JeffreySarnoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/JeffreySarnoff)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 10:59pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/11 "2019-07-31T22:59:07Z")

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Both SpecialFunctions and Arpack are known to be troublesome sometimes, particularly with Windows. I do not have a good answer for you ☹ .  
You could try installing this stuff including Julia … .using WindowsTerminal [Microsoft Apps](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/windows-terminal-preview/9n0dx20hk701?activetab=pivot:overviewtab) (get the dependencies first if you try this)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/12 "2019-07-31T23:42:46Z")

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🙂I finally found out a partial solution. What went wrong in precompling and building SpecialFunctions and Arpack seems to me that the powershell prevents Julia from downloading gcc7.tar.gz into the designated folder. I can manually click the link in the warning message and then download them to finish the building process. I hope there will be a permanent answer to fix it. Terminal on windows could be worth a try and I have no problem using Julia in Mac.

Thanks again for your help 👍

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**Author:** ![Mattriks](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mattriks/32/351_2.png) [@Mattriks](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Mattriks)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 3:18am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/13 "2019-08-01T03:18:08Z")

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For similar posts, see:  
[https://discourse.julialang.org/search?q=windows%20admin](https://discourse.julialang.org/search?q=windows%20admin)  
The first post there seems to have similar errors, that were (partly) solved.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [August 1, 2019, 3:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/14 "2019-08-01T15:10:00Z")

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Yes, and I guess the issue sticks with the downloading error, something weird in win10.

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**Author:** ![Nils](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Nils](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Nils)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/15 "2019-10-27T16:33:17Z")

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Hello there,

I had the similar problems adding and compiling SpecialFunctions, which is quite frustrating as these functions make julia especially appealing.

In my case downloading

[https://github.com/JuliaPackaging/Yggdrasil/releases/download/OpenSpecFun-v0.5.3+0/OpenSpecFun.v0.5.3.x86\_64-w64-mingw32-gcc7.tar.gz](https://github.com/JuliaPackaging/Yggdrasil/releases/download/OpenSpecFun-v0.5.3+0/OpenSpecFun.v0.5.3.x86_64-w64-mingw32-gcc7.tar.gz)

to

C:\Users\meAsUser.julia\packages\SpecialFunctions\IYceU\deps\usr\downloads\

solved the problem.  
Running REPL as admin did not help. When I tried, the download into the admin - user folder failed. I wonder if there is some problem in the SpecialFunctions package setup?

I am using julia-1.2 and windows 7.

(This was my first post in this forum, and I am taking my first steps in julia)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Fisheryu1234](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/fisheryu1234/32/9588_2.png) [@Fisheryu1234](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Fisheryu1234)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2019, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/error-in-build-special-functions/27015/16 "2019-10-28T17:53:08Z")

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Yes, you are right. You have to download packages manually into designated folder in this case, hope it can be solved in future development.