IDLE: startup problem when HOME does not exist

[CemalDuman]

BPO	15862
Nosy	@terryjreedy, @serwy, @mlouielu

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

Show more details

GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/terryjreedy'
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2012-09-04.21:43:34.286>
labels = ['expert-IDLE', 'type-bug', '3.7']
title = 'IDLE: startup problem when HOME does not exist'
updated_at = <Date 2017-07-10.05:56:07.434>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/CemalDuman'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2017-07-10.05:56:07.434>
actor = 'louielu'
assignee = 'terry.reedy'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['IDLE']
creation = <Date 2012-09-04.21:43:34.286>
creator = 'Cemal.Duman'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 15862
keywords = []
message_count = 9.0
messages = ['169840', '169843', '171503', '171631', '171675', '228519', '228528', '297256', '298025']
nosy_count = 4.0
nosy_names = ['terry.reedy', 'roger.serwy', 'Cemal.Duman', 'louielu']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = 'test needed'
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue15862'
versions = ['Python 3.6', 'Python 3.7']

[CemalDuman]

Hi
Unfortunately i'm using Vista on my corparate laptop I can open my Python CLI without any problem but IDLE is not responding. When i started idle.py by issuing following command:

C:\Python27>python.exe Lib\idlelib\idle.py

I see following output:

C:\Python27>
Warning: os.path.expanduser("~") points to
H:\,
but the path does not exist.

H:\ is my network drive. When i run the os.path.expanduser("~") at CLI i get following directory.

'C:\\Users\\edumcem\'

Thanks / Cemal

[serwy]

IDLE not responding is likely due to bpo-13582, since the warning message would cause IDLE to terminate abruptly when launched with pythonw.exe.

What does os.path.expanduser("~") evaluate to when executed from the IDLE shell?

[serwy]

With Python 2.7.3 on Win7, I tried the following:

C:\Python27>set HOME=H:\
C:\Python27>python -m idlelib.idle

I do receive the same warning messages described by Cemal, since I don't have a valid H:\ drive. However, IDLE is responsive. Running IDLE using Lib\idlelib\idle.bat fails, though.

Also, launching IDLE from the start menu still works.

Cemal, can you confirm this?

[CemalDuman]

Hi,

yes exactly...

I changed my home by using below commands.
C:\Python27>set HOME=C:\
C:\Python27>python -m idlelib.idle

it is working. But if i reboot my computer HOME changes again to network drive. I think sth abour corporate programs rewrites this paramters.

Thanks / Cemal

[serwy]

In your original message, did IDLE eventually start when you ran:

C:\Python27>python.exe Lib\idlelib\idle.py

? If yes, then the bug is likely due to bpo-13582.

If I understand correctly, when you reboot your computer, IDLE won't launch from the shortcut in the start menu?

[BreamoreBoy]

@terry what is your take on this?

[terryjreedy]

This is one of multiple reports about problems with finding and reading HOME/.idlerc/*.*. I believe that if nothing else, Idle should issue a warning message (that not not crash Idle), set a flag, and continue. The configuration dialog should also warn that changes will not be saved.

This particular situation is about a Windows system with HOME set but pointing to a directory on a drive that is not currently mounted. The user could create a .bat file that resets HOME, but Idle could also try harder to find a usable directory (so that the installed version specific icons work). Currently USERPROFILE is used (in os.expanduser) as a backup if HOME does not exist. It could also be used as a backup is HOME exists buts is not usable. Dittle for HOMEDRIVE and HOMEPATH used to backup USERPROFILE. Or Idle could change 'x:somepath', where x is not 'c', to 'c:somepath'.

Or maybe Idle should recognize an IDLE_RC env var so a user like Cemal can run idle with the same set of user config files regardless of whether connected to a corporate network or not. This would also help someone (like me) who wants to use the same config files regardless of whether logged in and running as admin or normal user.

[terryjreedy]

bpo-8231, msg297255 suggests some refactoring to make this sort of thing testable without crippling a developer system.

[mlouielu]

Terry: How about to support XDG base directory on Unix1?