Re: [Matplotlib-users] default backend on 1.2.0rc1 and master

[Francesco M. <fra...@gm...>]

2012/10/17 Damon McDougall <dam...@gm...>

> On Wed, Oct 17, 2012 at 9:12 AM, Francesco Montesano
> <fra...@gm...> wrote:
> >
> >
> > 2012/10/17 Eric Firing <ef...@ha...>
> >>
> >> On 2012/10/16 9:22 PM, Francesco Montesano wrote:
> >> > Dear list,
> >> >
> >> > I've see a difference between the default backend between
> >> >
> >> > v1.1.1 (shipped with kubuntu 12.10dev) and v1.2.0.rc1, 1.2.0rc2 and
> >> > master (1.3.x).
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > My set up is to call ipython with pylab and turn on interactive mode.
> I
> >> > still haven't copied over my matplotlibrc file from my work computer
> >> > (there I use qtagg, if I remember well)
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On v1.1.1 the default is [backend: TkAgg], while in the other two
> cases
> >> > it is  [backend: agg]. Is there some reason for this difference?
> >>
> >> The default should be based on what is found when mpl is built, so it
> >> sounds like when you are building v1.2.x, none of the supported gui
> >> toolkits is being found.  I don't know why that is.  Are you installing
> >> on a system that has gui toolkits already installed?
> >
> > I think so, as the v1.1.1 shipped with my OS is using TkAgg as backend
> and I
> > can plot interactively.
> >
> > When I build from source I get
> > OPTIONAL BACKEND DEPENDENCIES
> >                 libpng: found, but unknown version (no pkg-config)
> >                Tkinter: no
> >                         * Using default library and include directories
> for
> >                         * Tcl and Tk because a Tk window failed to open.
> >                         * You may need to define DISPLAY for Tk to work
> so
> >                         * that setup can determine where your libraries
> are
> >                         * located. Tkinter present, but header files are
> not
> >                         * found. You may need to install development
> >                         * packages.
> >                         * You may need to install 'dev' package(s) to
> >                         * provide header files.
> >                   Gtk+: no
> >                         * Could not find Gtk+ headers in any of
> >                         * '/usr/local/include', '/usr/include',
> >                         * '/usr/local/include', '/usr/include', '.'
> >        Mac OS X native: no
> >                     Qt: no
> >                    Qt4: Qt: 4.8.2, PyQt4: 4.9.3
> >                 PySide: no
> >                  Cairo: 1.8.8
> >
> > Could be a problem with Tkinter and dev packages.
> >
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> One useful
> >> technique with ubuntu derivatives is to do
> >>
> >> sudo apt-get build-dep python-matplotlib
> >>
> > probably it's easier if I just switch to qtagg, as I already have it
> >
> >>
> >> It might pull in more than you really want, but it will certainly
> >> include gui toolkits.
> >>
> >> Eric
> >
> > Thanks,
> > Francesco
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > cheers,
> >> >
> >> > Francesco
>
> Packages have whatever default backend the maintainer decided to build
> them with. For example, the macports packaged version of matplotlib is
> maintained by someone who specifies the macosx backend to be the
> default. When building from source, I think the TkAgg backend is the
> default, because most platforms have tkinter installed out of the box.
> Since it appears you don't have Tkinter installed, Agg is the default.
>
> Agg is a non-gui backend (but it produces awesome output).
>

Thanks for the explanation.

Fra


>
> --
> Damon McDougall
> http://www.damon-is-a-geek.com
> B2.39
> Mathematics Institute
> University of Warwick
> Coventry
> West Midlands
> CV4 7AL
> United Kingdom
>