How can I set the backend in matplotlib in Python

Question

I am new user of matplotlib  my platform is Ubuntu 10 04 Python 2 6 5  This is my code  import matplotlib matplotlib use  Agg   import matplotlib pyplot as plt  plt plot  1 2 3     The error is    usr local lib python2 6 dist-packages matplotlib backends   init   py 41  UserWarning   Your currently selected backend   agg  does not support show    Please select a GUI backend in your matplotlibrc file    usr local lib python2 6 dist-packages matplotlib mpl-data matplotlibrc   or with matplotlib use      backend  matplotlib matplotlib fname        I installed the Anti-Grain Geometry library apt-get install libagg but it is doesn t work  I tried to use other argument of backend like  GTK  and  TkAgg   I installed python-gtk2-dev package  but still the error is below  Can anyone tell me an executable backend argument and its dependency library    Here is the error    gt  gt  gt  matplotlib use  GTK    gt  gt  gt  import matplotlib pyplot as plt Traceback  most recent call last     File   lt stdin gt    line 1  in  lt module gt    File   usr local lib python2 6 dist-packages matplotlib pyplot py   line 95  in  lt module gt      new figure manager  draw if interactive  show   pylab setup     File   usr local lib python2 6 dist-packages matplotlib backends   init   py   line 25  in pylab setup     globals   locals    backend name     File   usr local lib python2 6 dist-packages matplotlib backends backend gtk py   line 28  in  lt module gt      from matplotlib backends backend gdk import RendererGDK  FigureCanvasGDK    File   usr local lib python2 6 dist-packages matplotlib backends backend gdk py   line 29  in  lt module gt      from matplotlib backends  backend gdk import pixbuf get pixels array ImportError  No module named  backend gdk

User · Answer

The errors you posted are unrelated  The first one is due to you selecting a backend that is not meant for interactive use  i e  agg  You can still use  and should use  those for the generation of plots in scripts that don t require user interaction   If you want an interactive lab-environment  as in Matlab Pylab  you d obviously import a backend supporting gui usage  such as Qt4Agg  needs Qt and AGG   GTKAgg  GTK an AGG  or WXAgg  wxWidgets and Agg    I d start by trying to use WXAgg  apart from that it really depends on how you installed Python and matplotlib  source  package etc

User · Answer

Your currently selected backend   agg  does not support show      AGG backend is for writing to file  not for rendering in a window  See the backend FAQ at the matplotlib web site      ImportError  No module named  backend gdk   For the second error  maybe your matplotlib distribution is not compiled with GTK support  or you miss the PyGTK package  Try to install it   Do you call the show   method inside a terminal or application that has access to a graphical environment   Try other GUI backends  in this order    TkAgg WX QTAgg QT4Agg

User · Answer

This can also be set in the configuration file matplotlibrc  as explained in the error message   for instance     The default backend  one of GTK GTKAgg GTKCairo GTK3Agg GTK3Cairo   CocoaAgg MacOSX Qt4Agg Qt5Agg TkAgg WX WXAgg Agg Cairo GDK PS PDF SVG backend   Agg   That way  the backend does not need to be hardcoded if the code is shared with other people  For more information  check the documentation

User · Answer

For new comers  matplotlib pyplot switch backend newbackend

User · Answer

FYI  I found I needed to put matplotlib use  Agg   first in Python import order  For what I was doing  unit testing needed to be headless  that meant putting  import matplotlib matplotlib use  Agg     at the top of my master test script  I didn t have to touch any other files

User · Answer

You can also try viewing the graph in a browser   Use the following   matplotlib use  WebAgg

User · Answer

I hit this when trying to compile python  numpy  scipy  matplotlib in my own VIRTUAL ENV  Before installing matplotlib you have to build and install  pygobject pycairo pygtk  And then do it with matplotlib  Before building matplotlib check with  python   setup py build --help  if  gtkagg  backend is enabled  Then build and install   Before export PKG CONFIG PATH  VIRTUAL ENV lib pkgconfig

User · Answer

Before starting python  you can do in bash  export MPLBACKEND TkAgg

[python] How can I set the 'backend' in matplotlib in Python?

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