IDLE won't run #62064

Bozdog · 2013-04-28T18:22:18Z

BPO	17864
Nosy	@ned-deily, @serwy
Superseder	bpo-8231: Unable to run IDLE without write-access to home directory

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = None
closed_at = <Date 2013-04-29.22:09:11.051>
created_at = <Date 2013-04-28.18:22:17.549>
labels = ['expert-IDLE', 'type-bug']
title = "IDLE won't run"
updated_at = <Date 2015-10-24.21:00:02.233>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/Bozdog'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2015-10-24.21:00:02.233>
actor = 'terry.reedy'
assignee = 'none'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2013-04-29.22:09:11.051>
closer = 'ned.deily'
components = ['IDLE']
creation = <Date 2013-04-28.18:22:17.549>
creator = 'Bozdog'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 17864
keywords = []
message_count = 11.0
messages = ['188011', '188013', '188018', '188021', '188028', '188029', '188041', '188057', '188072', '188113', '188181']
nosy_count = 3.0
nosy_names = ['ned.deily', 'roger.serwy', 'Bozdog']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'duplicate'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = '8231'
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue17864'
versions = ['Python 3.3']

Bozdog · 2013-04-28T18:22:17Z

I am installing Python 3.31 on a Mac running OS 10.8.2 and have already installed ActiveTCL 8.5.13. When I try and launch IDLE, the icon appears on the dock for a second and then disappears and the application doesn't run. I have already installed both Python and Active TCL in the same way on two other Macs and it has run just fine, so I don't know why it's not running on this one. Is there anything specific that would cause this to happen?

Thanks,
Ben

ned-deily · 2013-04-28T19:04:24Z

How are you trying to launch IDLE? Also, use the Console.app (in /Applications/Utilites) to examine system.log to see if there are any error messages produced there when you attempt to launch IDLE.

Bozdog · 2013-04-28T20:21:06Z

Hi there,

I'm launching IDLE from Applications in Finder (double clicking the application file).

I've tried doing this while Console is open and the response is:

28/04/2013 21:17:19.271 Dock[167]: no information back from LS about running process

Thanks,

Ben
On 28 Apr 2013, at 20:04, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:

Ned Deily added the comment:

How are you trying to launch IDLE? Also, use the Console.app (in /Applications/Utilites) to examine system.log to see if there are any error messages produced there when you attempt to launch IDLE.

----------
nosy: +ned.deily

Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue17864\>

ned-deily · 2013-04-28T20:59:07Z

OK, assuming you are using a default install of Python 3.3.1, try opening a terminal window (Terminal.app) and launching IDLE from there by typing:

/usr/local/bin/python3.3 -c 'import sys;print(sys.version)'
/usr/local/bin/python3.3 -m idlelib

and report what messages you see there.

Also, are there any other messages with "com.apple.launchd.peruser" or "org.python.IDLE" immediately before that one? You can use Console.app to see if there are any relevant crash reports under User Diagnostic Reports. You could use Activity Monitor.app to see if there is already an IDLE or Python process running. If you can, try logging -out and -in and/or rebooting. And which Python 3.3.1 did you install: from the python.org 3.3.1 64-bit/32-bit installer, from the python.org 3.3.1 32-bit-only installer, or from somewhere else?

Bozdog · 2013-04-28T22:04:43Z

In response to the first command:

3.3.1 (v3.3.1:d9893d13c628, Apr 6 2013, 11:07:11)
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5666) (dot 3)]

…and the second command:

Warning: unable to create user config directory
/Users/ben/.idlerc
Check path and permissions.
Exiting!

I've checked console and activity monitor and cannot see any further reference to IDLE. The message I sent previously was the only one shown in 'All Messages' after a marker I added to know where to start from.

I downloaded Python 3.31 from the official site and selected the 64bit version. I ran the ActiveTCL 8.5.13 download first.

Thanks,

Ben

On 28 Apr 2013, at 21:59, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:

Ned Deily added the comment:

OK, assuming you are using a default install of Python 3.3.1, try opening a terminal window (Terminal.app) and launching IDLE from there by typing:

/usr/local/bin/python3.3 -c 'import sys;print(sys.version)'
/usr/local/bin/python3.3 -m idlelib

and report what messages you see there.

Also, are there any other messages with "com.apple.launchd.peruser" or "org.python.IDLE" immediately before that one? You can use Console.app to see if there are any relevant crash reports under User Diagnostic Reports. You could use Activity Monitor.app to see if there is already an IDLE or Python process running. If you can, try logging -out and -in and/or rebooting. And which Python 3.3.1 did you install: from the python.org 3.3.1 64-bit/32-bit installer, from the python.org 3.3.1 32-bit-only installer, or from somewhere else?

----------

Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue17864\>

ned-deily · 2013-04-28T22:43:41Z

That's really odd. It looks you have a permissions problem with your home directory. On startup, IDLE attempts to create the directory .idlerc in your home directory, /Users/ben, if it doesn't exist already. If for some reason the directory creation fails, IDLE aborts. Interestingly, if the directory exists but IDLE lacks write permission to create files in it, it does not abort but posts a warning message in a window. Perhaps it could be a little more consistent about that. But still, this appears to be avery unusual situation. I can't think of any reason why IDLE would be unable to create a directory unless you have some security system installed or some unusual access control list setting. The most likely reason is just a plain old permission problem on your home directory. Try this in a terminal session:

cd ~
ls -lde ~

You should see something similar to this:
drwxr-xr-x+ 38 nad staff 2992 Apr 28 15:26 /Users/nad/
0: group:everyone deny delete

if the permissions string is missing the "w" ("dr-xr-x"), that means you do not have write permission to your home directory and can't create new directories there. In that case,

mkdir ~/.idlerc

should fail. (This is essentially what IDLE is trying to do.)

If you are missing write permission on your home directory, you *should* be able to fix it by doing:

chmod u+w ~

Bozdog · 2013-04-29T07:22:14Z

I've tried this and it looks like write access is already enabled, but I entered the commands you listed all the same - here's the output:

Bens-iMac:~ ben$ cd
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ ls -lde
drwxr-xr-x 28 temp staff 952 28 Apr 18:46 .
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ mkdir /.idlerc
mkdir: /.idlerc: Permission denied
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ chmod u+w
usage: chmod [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-a | +a | =a [i][# [ n]]] mode|entry file ...
chmod [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-E | -C | -N | -i | -I] file ...
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ mkdir /.idlerc
mkdir: /.idlerc: Permission denied

On 28 Apr 2013, at 23:43, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:

Ned Deily added the comment:

That's really odd. It looks you have a permissions problem with your home directory. On startup, IDLE attempts to create the directory .idlerc in your home directory, /Users/ben, if it doesn't exist already. If for some reason the directory creation fails, IDLE aborts. Interestingly, if the directory exists but IDLE lacks write permission to create files in it, it does not abort but posts a warning message in a window. Perhaps it could be a little more consistent about that. But still, this appears to be avery unusual situation. I can't think of any reason why IDLE would be unable to create a directory unless you have some security system installed or some unusual access control list setting. The most likely reason is just a plain old permission problem on your home directory. Try this in a terminal session:

cd ~
ls -lde ~

You should see something similar to this:
drwxr-xr-x+ 38 nad staff 2992 Apr 28 15:26 /Users/nad/
0: group:everyone deny delete

if the permissions string is missing the "w" ("dr-xr-x"), that means you do not have write permission to your home directory and can't create new directories there. In that case,

mkdir ~/.idlerc

should fail. (This is essentially what IDLE is trying to do.)

If you are missing write permission on your home directory, you *should* be able to fix it by doing:

chmod u+w ~

----------

Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
<http://bugs.python.org/issue17864\>

ned-deily · 2013-04-29T09:37:12Z

The "ls" shows that, for some reason, your home directory is owned by user "temp", not by user "ben". That's not good. Try doing this:

sudo chown ben /Users/ben/

But we're way past an IDLE or Python problem here. This is a basic Unix system administration issue.

serwy · 2013-04-29T15:03:35Z

This looks like a duplicate of bpo-8231.

ned-deily · 2013-04-29T22:09:11Z

Ah, yes, it is a duplicate, thanks. Let's move any further discussion to bpo-8231.

Bozdog · 2013-04-30T19:47:25Z

Good news - ran the sudo command, entered the password but I could still not make the directory, but I could within Finder - this time without a password. Tried the IDLE application again and it now works.

Thank you once again for your help in resolving this.

Regards,

Ben

Begin forwarded message:

From: Ben Read <ben@denmarkfarmbarn.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [bpo-17864] IDLE won't run
Date: 29 April 2013 22:12:03 BST
To: Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>

Thank you for getting me this far - it's funny that Python has been the program to make this problem apparent, but looking closer, there are other issues such as not being able to create a new folder in the user folder without entering username and password.

I appreciate your help in diagnosing the problem.

Ben

On 29 Apr 2013, at 10:37, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:

>
> Ned Deily added the comment:
>
> The "ls" shows that, for some reason, your home directory is owned by user "temp", not by user "ben". That's not good. Try doing this:
>
> sudo chown ben /Users/ben/
>
> But we're way past an IDLE or Python problem here. This is a basic Unix system administration issue.
>
> ----------
>
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue17864\>
> _______________________________________

Bozdog mannequin added type-crash A hard crash of the interpreter, possibly with a core dump topic-IDLE labels Apr 28, 2013

serwy mannequin added type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error and removed type-crash A hard crash of the interpreter, possibly with a core dump labels Apr 29, 2013

ned-deily changed the title ~~IDLE won't run~~ IDLE fails to launch when it cannot create .idlerc directory Apr 29, 2013

ned-deily closed this as completed Apr 29, 2013

Bozdog mannequin changed the title ~~IDLE fails to launch when it cannot create .idlerc directory~~ IDLE won't run Apr 30, 2013

ezio-melotti transferred this issue from another repository Apr 10, 2022

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IDLE won't run #62064

IDLE won't run #62064

Bozdog mannequin commented Apr 28, 2013

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ned-deily commented Apr 28, 2013

Bozdog mannequin commented Apr 28, 2013

ned-deily commented Apr 28, 2013

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ned-deily commented Apr 28, 2013

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serwy mannequin commented Apr 29, 2013

ned-deily commented Apr 29, 2013

Bozdog mannequin commented Apr 30, 2013

IDLE won't run #62064

IDLE won't run #62064

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Bozdog mannequin commented Apr 28, 2013

Bozdog mannequin commented Apr 28, 2013

ned-deily commented Apr 28, 2013

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ned-deily commented Apr 28, 2013

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ned-deily commented Apr 29, 2013

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Bozdog mannequin commented Apr 30, 2013