qiskit-aer v0.15.1 install with Python v3.13.1 on Windows fails

[tjstavenger-pnnl]

Informations

• Qiskit Aer version: 0.15.1
• Python version: 3.13.1
• Operating system: Windows Server 2022 (Github windows-latest runner)

What is the current behavior?

No wheel appears to be available, so pip install qiskit-aer attempts to build, but fails with error Conan: Unknown MSVC compiler version. Note towards the top of the logs below that MSVC 19.42.34435.0 was found by cmake.

Same pip install of qiskit-aer with same Python version works on Github ubuntu-latest and macos-latest runners.

Building wheel for qiskit-aer (pyproject.toml) did not run successfully.
  exit code: 1
  
  [109 lines of output]
  
  
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  -- Trying 'Ninja (Visual Studio 17 2022 x64 v144)' generator
  --------------------------------
  ---------------------------
  ----------------------
  -----------------
  ------------
  -------
  --
  Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
  CMake Deprecation Warning at CMakeLists.txt:1 (cmake_minimum_required):
    Compatibility with CMake < 3.10 will be removed from a future version of
    CMake.
  
    Update the VERSION argument <min> value.  Or, use the <min>...<max> syntax
    to tell CMake that the project requires at least <min> but has been updated
    to work with policies introduced by <max> or earlier.
  
  
  -- The C compiler identification is MSVC 19.42.34435.0
  -- Detecting C compiler ABI info
  -- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
  -- Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Enterprise/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.42.34433/bin/Hostx86/x64/cl.exe - skipped
  -- Detecting C compile features
  -- Detecting C compile features - done
  -- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.42.34435.0
  -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
  -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
  -- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Enterprise/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.42.34433/bin/Hostx86/x64/cl.exe - skipped
  -- Detecting CXX compile features
  -- Detecting CXX compile features - done
  -- Configuring done (12.7s)
  -- Generating done (0.0s)
  -- Build files have been written to: C:/Users/runneradmin/AppData/Local/Temp/pip-install-rrvg2gdi/qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d/_cmake_test_compile/build
  --
  -------
  ------------
  -----------------
  ----------------------
  ---------------------------
  --------------------------------
  -- Trying 'Ninja (Visual Studio 17 2022 x64 v144)' generator - success
  --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  Configuring Project
    Working directory:
      C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d\_skbuild\win-amd64-3.13\cmake-build
    Command:
      'C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-3n5ii26p\overlay\Lib\site-packages\cmake\data\bin/cmake.exe' 'C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d' -G Ninja -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM:FILEPATH=ninja -D_SKBUILD_FORCE_MSVC=1930 --no-warn-unused-cli '-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d\_skbuild\win-amd64-3.13\cmake-install' -DPYTHON_VERSION_STRING:STRING=3.13.1 -DSKBUILD:INTERNAL=TRUE '-DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH:PATH=C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-3n5ii26p\overlay\Lib\site-packages\skbuild\resources\cmake' '-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\python.exe' '-DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\Include' '-DPYTHON_LIBRARY:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\libs\python313.lib' '-DPython_EXECUTABLE:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\python.exe' '-DPython_ROOT_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64' -DPython_FIND_REGISTRY:STRING=NEVER '-DPython_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\Include' '-DPython_LIBRARY:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\libs\python313.lib' '-DPython3_EXECUTABLE:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\python.exe' '-DPython3_ROOT_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64' -DPython3_FIND_REGISTRY:STRING=NEVER '-DPython3_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\Include' '-DPython3_LIBRARY:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\libs\python313.lib' -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM:FILEPATH=ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Release
  
  Not searching for unused variables given on the command line.
  CMake Deprecation Warning at CMakeLists.txt:11 (cmake_minimum_required):
    Compatibility with CMake < 3.10 will be removed from a future version of
    CMake.
  
    Update the VERSION argument <min> value.  Or, use the <min>...<max> syntax
    to tell CMake that the project requires at least <min> but has been updated
    to work with policies introduced by <max> or earlier.
  
  
  -- The CXX compiler identification is MSVC 19.42.34435.0
  -- The C compiler identification is MSVC 19.42.34435.0
  -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
  -- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
  -- Check for working CXX compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Enterprise/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.42.34433/bin/Hostx86/x64/cl.exe - skipped
  -- Detecting CXX compile features
  -- Detecting CXX compile features - done
  -- Detecting C compiler ABI info
  -- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
  -- Check for working C compiler: C:/Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/2022/Enterprise/VC/Tools/MSVC/14.42.34433/bin/Hostx86/x64/cl.exe - skipped
  -- Detecting C compile features
  -- Detecting C compile features - done
  -- Performing Test flag_supported
  -- Performing Test flag_supported - Success
  -- Performing Test flag_supported
  -- Performing Test flag_supported - Success
  -- Conan: Automatic detection of conan settings from cmake
  CMake Error at cmake/conan.cmake:61 (message):
    Conan: Unknown MSVC compiler version [1942]
  Call Stack (most recent call first):
    cmake/conan.cmake:178 (_get_msvc_ide_version)
    cmake/conan.cmake:498 (conan_cmake_settings)
    cmake/conan_utils.cmake:63 (conan_cmake_run)
    cmake/dependency_utils.cmake:20 (setup_conan)
    CMakeLists.txt:179 (setup_dependencies)
  
  
  -- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!
  Traceback (most recent call last):
    File "C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-3n5ii26p\overlay\Lib\site-packages\skbuild\setuptools_wrap.py", line 660, in setup
      env = cmkr.configure(
          cmake_args,
      ...<3 lines>...
          languages=cmake_languages,
      )
    File "C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-3n5ii26p\overlay\Lib\site-packages\skbuild\cmaker.py", line 354, in configure
      raise SKBuildError(msg)
  
  An error occurred while configuring with CMake.
    Command:
      'C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-3n5ii26p\overlay\Lib\site-packages\cmake\data\bin/cmake.exe' 'C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d' -G Ninja -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM:FILEPATH=ninja -D_SKBUILD_FORCE_MSVC=1930 --no-warn-unused-cli '-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX:PATH=C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d\_skbuild\win-amd64-3.13\cmake-install' -DPYTHON_VERSION_STRING:STRING=3.13.1 -DSKBUILD:INTERNAL=TRUE '-DCMAKE_MODULE_PATH:PATH=C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-3n5ii26p\overlay\Lib\site-packages\skbuild\resources\cmake' '-DPYTHON_EXECUTABLE:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\python.exe' '-DPYTHON_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\Include' '-DPYTHON_LIBRARY:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\libs\python[313](https://github.com/C2QA/bosonic-qiskit/actions/runs/12299085017/job/34324041476#step:4:314).lib' '-DPython_EXECUTABLE:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\python.exe' '-DPython_ROOT_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64' -DPython_FIND_REGISTRY:STRING=NEVER '-DPython_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\Include' '-DPython_LIBRARY:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\libs\python313.lib' '-DPython3_EXECUTABLE:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\python.exe' '-DPython3_ROOT_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64' -DPython3_FIND_REGISTRY:STRING=NEVER '-DPython3_INCLUDE_DIR:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\Include' '-DPython3_LIBRARY:PATH=C:\hostedtoolcache\windows\Python\3.13.1\x64\libs\python313.lib' -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM:FILEPATH=ninja -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE:STRING=Release
    Source directory:
      C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d
    Working directory:
      C:\Users\runneradmin\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-rrvg2gdi\qiskit-aer_44a0b1c903fa4569840ba096668e3d4d\_skbuild\win-amd64-3.13\cmake-build
  Please see CMake's output for more information.

Steps to reproduce the problem

pip install qiskit-aer on Github windows-latest runner using Python 3.13.

What is the expected behavior?

No build failure, qiskit-aer installs

Suggested solutions

Python <= 3.12 works, but we'd like to test against 3.13.

[gadial]

3.13 support was recently added. Can you test to see if this issue was solved on your side?

[tjstavenger-pnnl]

Looks like we might be getting stuck between this issue and numpy/numpy#27894. We're currently trying to support Python >=3.9. We may need to decide to go with Python >=3.10 or not support Python 3.13 on Windows.

I was able to get our software to work with Python 3.13 on Windows if I upgrade Numpy, but if I upgrade Numpy Python 3.9 doesn't work.

[tjstavenger-pnnl]

For our dependencies, numpy qutip, and matplotlib each have versions compatible with Python 3.9 but not 3.13 and vice versa. We were able to let let these packages have dependencies within a range (e.g., numpy>=2.0.2) and have our builds work for both now.

Thank you for the help in getting qiskit-aer compatible on Windows with Python 3.13!