IDLE Problem: win98\Python2.4

[kim kubik]

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

[rmb25612]

kim kubik wrote:

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 . . .

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

[kim kubik]

kim kubik wrote:

I installed Python2.4 in Win98
and IDLE doesn't work

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

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

[Martin v. Löwis]

kim kubik wrote:

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

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