IDLE Problem: win98\Python2.4

This sure seems like it would have been
brought up but I checked Google Groups
(the dejanews replacement) and saw
nothing: I installed Python2.4 in Win98
and IDLE doesn't work (neither does the
online manual even tho a 3.6KB Python24.chm
is there, but that's a story for another
day) - that is, clicking on the IDLE icon
in the Start menu just gives a brief hourglass
cursor and then nothing . . .

From a DOS prompt (in C:\Python24) I can do
'python lib\idlelib\idle.py' and get a list
of errors, not being able to find tcl8.4 in
a number of paths, none of which exist in
the c:\python24 as installed. I moved tcl84.lib
into a directory it does search and got fewer
errors msg's, the last being like 'can't find
a usable init.tcl.' Moved init.tcl to the same
dir as tcl84.lib, got even fewer errors, the
last being like
"_tkinter.TclError: invalid cmd name "tcl_findLibrary"

So I'm stuck. I uninstalled Py2.4, installed Py2.3.5,
again same thing . . . IDLE just does not come up
with the tcl paths of the standard install.

www.python.org gives answer to problems w/IDLE on Py1.5
from 1999 and shows adding tcl\bin to %PATH%. OK . . .

What to try next? SOMEONE else must have seen this?
\kim

re: IDLE Problem: win98\Python2.4

kim kubik wrote:[color=blue]
> This sure seems like it would have been
> brought up but I checked Google Groups
> (the dejanews replacement) and saw
> nothing: I installed Python2.4 in Win98
> and IDLE doesn't work (neither does the
> online manual even tho a 3.6KB Python24.chm
> is there, but that's a story for another
> day) - that is, clicking on the IDLE icon
> in the Start menu just gives a brief hourglass
> cursor and then nothing . . .[/color]

Are you also running Ruby? The Ruby bundle for MS Windows has caused
problems with it's TCL package conflicting with Python's.

Search comp.lang.python on Google Groups for: Ruby TCL

re: IDLE Problem: win98\Python2.4

[color=blue]
> kim kubik wrote:[color=green]
> > I installed Python2.4 in Win98
> > and IDLE doesn't work[/color][/color]
[color=blue]
> Are you also running Ruby? The Ruby bundle for MS Windows has caused
> problems with it's TCL package conflicting with Python's.
>[/color]
thanks, one of the first things I noted in the error msg
(not included for brevity) was that the ruby search
path in AUTOEXEC.BAT was ahead of the python path (and
ruby had tcl83.lib) so I REM'd all the tcl stuff out.
AND THEN (stupid me!) I put into AUTOEXEC.BAT
'set TCL_LIBRARY=c:\python23\tcl' thinking that
would point python to the proper libs. What a mistake!
If I take that line out (and leave the ruby stuff REM'd
out as well) IDLE runs just fine. So thanks!

A little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing; forgive my
stupidity - it will happen again, so I'm apologizing in advance!
\kim

re: IDLE Problem: win98\Python2.4

kim kubik wrote:[color=blue]
> A little knowledge is indeed a dangerous thing; forgive my
> stupidity - it will happen again, so I'm apologizing in advance![/color]

No need to apologize! This is a frequent mistake, and it might
be sensible to change Python to be more resistent against it.
For example, it might be possible to check whether TCL_LIBRARY
points to a "good" Tcl version if set, in lib-tk/FixTk.py.
Then, if it is somehow determined to be incorrect (i.e. by
containing an outdated tcldll, but no current one), TCL_LIBRARY
could be ignored, and the included library could be used.

Alternatively, a more detailed warning if import _tkinter
failed and TCL_LIBRARY is set could be produced (instead
of silently "fixing" the problem for the user).

Patches in this direction are welcome.

Regards,
Martin