Python matplotlib plotting setup for cygwin

Matplotlib is a popular python library for generating plot graphics.   It works with cygwin win32 but some non-intuitive steps are required.

Install cygwin:

CYGWIN_NT-5.1 1.7.9(0.237/5/3) 2011-03-29 10:10 i686 Cygwin
I am using cygwin with setup 2.7.3

Install python through cygwin:

This document describes installing python and matplot with cygwin.  For most windows users and cygwin users, normally you would use the external python executable.  I tend to prefer all of my script oriented applications running through cygwin including python.


Python 2.6.5 (r265:79063, Jun 12 2010, 17:07:01)
[GCC 4.3.4 20090804 (release) 1] on cygwin

In the cygwin setup.exe installer, install:

The freetype libs, python-gtk, python-tk, libpng

Download matplotlib from sourceforge:

I am using the latest version matplotlib-1.1.0 as of 1/2012.

Issues with standard python install and cygwin:

The typical 'python setup.py install' will not work with cygwin.  You need to modify a configuration file and run some other additional commands.

In the root directory of the expanded matplotlib directory, edit the setup.cfg.template configuration file.

Around line 70 in the file is a commented line, uncomment the line such that you have:

tkagg = False

Run install and watch it fail

 Try running 'python setup.py install'

It should fail with an error like the following:


2 [main] python 2796 C:\cygwin\bin\python.exe: *** fatal error - unable to remap C:\cygwin\bin\cyggfortran-3.dll to same address as parent: 0x18660000 != 0x69780000
Stack trace:


Run the rebase command OUTSIDE OF THE TYPICAL CYGWIN ENV

 Exit cygwin and close all cygwin instances including the one you are working with.  You won't be using the typical  cygwin prompt for the next command.

In windows explorer, open the cmd.exe or windows command


You will need to run rebaseall.  First, shut down any long running processes like sshd, close all Cygwin prompts and so on.

Type the following commands:

cd \cygwin\bin
ash
PATH=. rebaseall -v

...
And you should get several lines of output.

Run install and watch it succeed

 Try running 'python setup.py install' command again in the matplotlib directory

Running Example Program:
# python
Python 2.6.5 (r265:79063, Jun 12 2010, 17:07:01)
[GCC 4.3.4 20090804 (release) 1] on cygwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
import matplotlib.pyplot as pyplot
pyplot.pie([1,2,3])
pyplot.show()
pyplot.savefig('f.png')
pyplot.savefig('x.png')
pyplot.savefig('x.eps')

About Me (Berlin Brown resume):
http://berlin2research.com/dyna/berlinbrown_java_resume/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Unit Testing, Java TDD for developers to write

It has been a while, let's kick off 2017 with a blog entry. I have read and I am reading about four or five posts a day about unit testing. It really has been a long time obsession for me. I have moved past the technical and practical considerations on unit testing frameworks and done with the debates with "should you use Junit or Mockito or Karma?" I am more interested in the psychology of unit testing, who does it, likes it, hates it? It really is one of those easy to learn, hard to master concepts. For example, many many may play chess when they are young and can end up being horribly chess players most of their life, I am part of that majority. Unfortunately, I have never played chess and sat down for hours and tried to master it. I never see the common patterns or have a developed end game. I mostly just play with a knowledge of the basic rules. Following good unit testing practices within your software development shop is a lot like playing chess. It is easy to le...
Read more

Is Java the new COBOL? Yes. What does that mean, exactly? (Part 1)

Image
"If you want to know the past, look at your present. If you want to know the future, look at your present." -- Gautama Buddha Java is the new COBOL, whaaaat?     If you are software developer that mainly writes applications for the web; even if you aren't a Java/J2EE developer, you have probably heard the new meme circulating the web and blogosphere. "Java is the new COBOL" . Most blogs and technical writers regurgitate that statement and follow-up by saying that EJBs suck, and some companies are considering Ruby on Rails. I didn't really think much of these posts. I get the impression that a lot of these "managers" don't write any Java or COBOL code. They are really not highlighting the seriousness of the problem. COBOL development has remained stagnant for decades. Java may see the same problem in the future. The Pentagon/DOD has a trillion dollar COBOL problem because it is so difficult to change their ancient infrastructure. Anyon...
Read more

JVM Notebook: Basic Clojure, Java and JVM Language performance

Image
"Measure, don't guess. The primary goal of all performance tuning exercises should be maximize the end user experience given the resource constraints." [1] "It isn't so much a "farewell to the J" as an expansion of the platform opportunities Java provides. Sun's investment to power ongoing development of JRuby and Jython broadens the range and reach of Java, as a whole." -- Rick Ross Overview and JVM Languages    One of the exciting trends to recently emerge from the Java community is the concept of the JVM language. These technologies are all that you would expect them to be. They are implementations of languages that run on the Java Virtual Machine. Some are newly created and some are based on existing, more mature languages. JRuby, Jython are two JVM languages based on CRuby and CPython. Groovy, Scala, Clojure are three completely new JVM languages that were created to add new language features that weren't supported by the core Ja...
Read more