[IPython-dev] Heads-up: test suite fails on Ubuntu 11.10 if system matplotlib is installed, it's an ubuntu bug.

[Fernando Perez]

Just so that none of you waste your time, if you install the system
matplotlib package, the test suite fails,  with KnownFailure tests
being reported as errors.  The fault is the ubuntu matplotlib package
(the *ubuntu* package, not matplotlib itself and not even the upstream
Debian one, the issue is specific to the ubuntu repackaging).  Bug
report here:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/matplotlib/+bug/871176

The solution is to edit the file

/usr/share/pyshared/matplotlib-1.0.1.egg-info/entry_points.txt

and comment it out (it's only two lines).  You can also just empty it
out or remove it, I guess.

The bug is insanely hard to track down, and it happens even if you
completely override both the system matplotlib and nose with a
personal install of both, as this buggy global plugin is still  pulled
in.

Since both Stefan and I wasted hours on this one, I figured I'd warn people...

Cheers,

f