[Tutor] Python 2.4 IDLE Windows 2000

[Danny Yoo]

On Wed, 1 Dec 2004, Mike Hansen wrote:

> After uninstalling Python 2.3.4, I installed Python 2.4 on my Windows
> 2000 workstation. For some reason IDLE won't launch. I see a hourglass
> cursor and a bit of hard drive activity, then nothing. I rebooted the
> PC, but that didn't work. I uninstalled 2.4 and reinstalled, but that
> didn't work. I didn't have any issues with 2.3.4. Anyone got any ideas?


Hi Mike,

There are two things about IDLE that can complicate installation: IDLE
depends on Tkinter for its GUI, and it also uses network sockets.


Lately, the network stuff has been troublesome, since many computers come
with broken firewall setups.  Do you have firewall software installed?
Recent versions of IDLE will try to open network sockets to itself, so
firewall software can actually interfere with it.  There's a mention of
this issue on the "bugs" list:

    http://python.org/2.4/bugs.html

If you do have a firewall running, try turning the firewall off
temporarely, and start up IDLE again.  If IDLE starts to work, then it's
very likely that the firewall software is to blame.


Also, If you can start up the console version of Python, try executing the
following:

###
>>> import Tkinter
>>> root = Tkinter.root()
###

and tell us what the computer does when those commands are executed.
This tries to bring up a Tkinter graphical root window, and if this
breaks, then it's likely that something funky is going on with Tkinter.


Good luck to you!