ipython throws errors if only ipy_user_conf.py (no ipythonrc) present

[ViktigLemma]

Binary package hint: ipython

Starting ipython I get the following message:

WARNING: Configuration file ipythonrc not found. Ignoring request.
------------------------------------------------------------
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/IPython/ConfigLoader.py", line 66, in load
    fname = filefind(fname,incpath)
  File "/usr/lib/pymodules/python2.6/IPython/genutils.py", line 555, in filefind
    ' not found in current or supplied directories:' + `alt_dirs`
IOError: File'ipythonrc' not found in current or supplied directories:u'/home/<MYUSERNAME>/.ipython'
WARNING: Problems loading configuration file 'ipythonrc'

This leads to a reduced performance of ipython.

Oddly, ipython did not have problems immediately after I upgraded to Karmic, but the problem is clearly here now. I did not have this problem under Jaunty.

ProblemType: Bug
Architecture: amd64
Date: Tue Nov 10 11:31:03 2009
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 9.10
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" - Release amd64 (20091027)
NonfreeKernelModules: nvidia
Package: ipython 0.10-1
PackageArchitecture: all
ProcEnviron:
 PATH=(custom, user)
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
 LC_PAPER=en_GB.UTF-8
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 2.6.31-14.48-generic
SourcePackage: ipython
Uname: Linux 2.6.31-14-generic x86_64

[ViktigLemma (jorgsk)]

Does anyone have any ideas about what might be causing this? Autocompletion does not work, among other things.

I have tried removing and installing ipython again with no change in the error output.

After creating the file 'ipythonrc' in my ~/.ipython directory I no longer get the error message - but of course I still don't have any features. ipython is basically behaving liky the standard python interface.

[ViktigLemma (jorgsk)]

I've now transfered the .ipython directory from another computer to mine. Everything now works as it should. So the case of the faulty ipython install will then remain forever a mystery...

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto (khaeru)]

This is somewhat the intended behaviour. The iPython documentation (file:///usr/share/doc/ipython/manual/html/config/index.html) describes two ways of handling configuration:

* Old: .ipython/ipythonrc, .ipython/ipythonrc-PROFILENAME
* New: .ipython/ipy_user_conf.py, .ipython/ipy_profile_PROFILENAME.py

The file .ipython/ipythonrc must *exist*; if it doesn't, the traceback you see is produced. However, it is possible to run iPython perfectly well with an *empty* ipythonrc file, doing all configuration through ipy_user_conf.py.

There is an example of this file on your system at /usr/share/pyshared/IPython/UserConfig/ipy_user_conf.py (Ubuntu 9.10) — or type "locate ipy_user_conf.py" to find it. The line "import ipy_defaults" in this file establishes the iPython features you are used to.

I think the bug here is that iPython should treat a missing ipythonrc the same as an empty one, so I'm changing the title.

[Julian Taylor (jtaylor)]

ipython >= 0.11 available in precise has a completely new configuration system and no requirement for ipythonrc anymore
marking it fixed.