[Python-modules-team] Bug#696170: ipython-notebook: ipython notebook --pylab failes without intelligent error message

[Julian Taylor]

On 12/17/2012 02:51 PM, Daniel Maier wrote:
> Package: ipython-notebook
> Version: 0.13.1-2
> Severity: minor
> 
> Dear Maintainer,
> 
> starting ipython notebook --pylab failes with
> 
>> [IPKernelApp] GUI event loop or pylab initialization failed
> 
> in the console when first using matplotlib tools when python-matplotlib
> is not installed while the web interface only gives
> 
>> NameError: name 'plot' is not defined
> 
> 

I don't think this can be fixed in a simple way.

It is recommended to start pylab in the notebook itself with
%pylab <backend>
to make it independent of the server that started it.
Then you get proper error messages.