Re: [Matplotlib-users] RuntimeError: could not open display

[John H. <jdh...@ac...>]

>>>>> "Rich" == Rich Drewes <dr...@in...> writes:

    Rich> I should add that we were both ssh'd into a Linux machine,
    Rich> he from Windows and I from Linux.  So his DISPLAY was not
    Rich> set and mine was.  When he ran the script it failed for him,
    Rich> but worked for me, even though the script only did a savefig
    Rich> and never tried to actually show() anything to a screen.  Is
    Rich> that expected behavior?

If you don't use the matplotlib.use directive, matplotlib will try and
load its default backend from the rc file
(http://matplotlib.sf.net/.matplotlibrc); if you haven't customized
this on linux it is GTKAgg.  My guess is that this is what is causing
your problem.  You have two choices in addition to the use directive:

  1) change the default backend to a non-GUI backend in the rc file,
     eg "backend : PS".  Copy the rc file to your HOME directory (or
     working directory) and edit it.

  2) use a command line arg to force the backend

     > python myscript.py -dPS

Hope this helps,
JDH