IDLE GUI not working

[Grant Andrew]

On Sun, Dec 26, 2010 at 4:33 PM, Python Programming <pythonva at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hello all,
>
> Newbie here so go easy on me.  I've been trying to get the IDLE GUI to
> work on my machine, but have been unsuccessful so far.  I have an IBM
> Thinkpad running Windows XP and it has an older version of Python
> running (2.2, I believe).  When I try to use the shortcut to open the
> IDLE GUI nothing happens (not even a process running in task
> manager).  When I use the cmd line to try to open the IDLE GUI, I get
> this error message:
>
> ----------------------------
> C:\>C:\python27\python C:\python27\Lib\idlelib\idle.py
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>  File "C:\python27\Lib\idlelib\idle.py", line 11, in <module>
>    idlelib.PyShell.main()
>  File "C:\python27\Lib\idlelib\PyShell.py", line 1389, in main
>    root = Tk(className="Idle")
>  File "C:\python27\lib\lib-tk\Tkinter.py", line 1685, in __init__
>    self.tk = _tkinter.create(screenName, baseName, className,
> interactive, want
> objects, useTk, sync, use)
> _tkinter.TclError: Can't find a usable init.tcl in the following
> directories:
>    {C:\IBMTOOLS\Python22\tcl\tcl8.4} C:/IBMTOOLS/Python22/tcl/tcl8.5
> C:/python2
> 7/lib/tcl8.5 C:/lib/tcl8.5 C:/lib/tcl8.5 C:/library C:/library C:/
> tcl8.5.2/libra
> ry C:/tcl8.5.2/library
>
> C:/IBMTOOLS/Python22/tcl/tcl8.4/init.tcl: version conflict for package
> "Tcl": ha
> ve 8.5.2, need exactly 8.4
> version conflict for package "Tcl": have 8.5.2, need exactly 8.4
>    while executing
> "package require -exact Tcl 8.4"
>    (file "C:/IBMTOOLS/Python22/tcl/tcl8.4/init.tcl" line 19)
>    invoked from within
> "source C:/IBMTOOLS/Python22/tcl/tcl8.4/init.tcl"
>    ("uplevel" body line 1)
>    invoked from within
> "uplevel #0 [list source $tclfile]"
>
>
> This probably means that Tcl wasn't installed properly.
> ------------------------------------
>
> As I understand this, python 2.7 is looking in a directory or path
> specified by the older, python 2.2 for Tcl.  I have tried to unset
> this path by entering this into the cmd line:
>
> -------------------------------
> C:\>set TCL_LIBRARY=
> C:\>set TK_LIBRARY=
> C:\>C:\Python27\python.exe C:\Python27\Lib\idlelib\idle.py
> -------------------------------
>
> No dice.
>
> I tried to enter this information as a new pythonpath in the
> environment variables.  No dice.
>
> I've tried, in vain, to get this thing working, but most of the other
> explanations are way over my head (I'm pretty new to programming and
> digging around the programming guts of computers)
>
> It seems like a fairly common problem, but haven't gotten a good
> answer from either the official python help boards or elsewhere.  I
> was hoping that someone here could give me a easy to understand way to
> make the IDLE GUI work.
>
> Thanks in advance.
> --
> http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list


Wow, I wrote a note to this list so closely resembling yours I had to read
carefully to ensure it wasn't my own.

You have a PATH problem - these machines ship with Tcl installed and that's
creating this issue.

There is the standard Path variable, but if you'll notice, there is also a
scrollbar to the right.  Scroll down and find additional variables that need
fixed - PythonPath, TCL_Library, and TK Library all need to be redirected to
your current install.  If you fix all of these, your problem should be
solved and you'll be on your way, at least that was my exact issue on a
Thinkpad running XP.

Best of luck!

Grant
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