[Tutor] IDLE Usage - was Interpreter Restarts

[Robert H. Haener IV]

Sara Johnson wrote:
> Everyone who has commented...
>  
> I have XWin32....It hasn't worked.  I've talked to some people in the IT
> departments and they've given me things to check (boxes to check or
> uncheck) and that doesn't seem to make a difference. 
>  
> When I picked up these projects I was given a lot of stuff and left to
> figure it out.  I was also left with the impression that I should have
> the GUI working.  If a lot of Python programmers use SSH, then I guess
> there is no problem.  But when you're a newbie who really doesn't
> understand what they're doing, anything that might make the process a
> tad more straight-forward is worth it.  For example, I worked on this
> basic Unix editor 'Pico' before I learned I could switch to Vi and have
> my code color-coordinated so that I knew where my comments were and I
> could see if I accidentally commented something out that needs to be
> there.  So maybe it's not too important that I use the Python shell with
> my school's editor program open (as I was advised to do).  Some of you
> have already seen my confusion from the different questions I've asked
> about my code (or rather, the code I've been editing).  So I thought
> most of the Python programmers preferred to use IDLE and that maybe it
> would simplify things just a tad for me.  I'm about 2000 miles away from
> where I should be with these projects.
>  
> Thanks,
> Sara

It sounds like the SSH server you're connecting to isn't set to allow X Forwarding; either that, or your SSH client isn't set to use X Forwarding.  Here is a page which describes how to use the SSH server's GUI programs from your computer via X Forwarding, bear in mind that it's written with regard to a college's server and therefore will include a few specific instructions that don't apply to you:

http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/howtos/XForwarding/index.html

If you name the SSH client (which I believe you've been calling an "SSH editor") you're using, I might be able to give you step by step instructions for setting your client to use X Forwarding.

If the SSH server doesn't allow X Forwarding, I recommend using a program called 'screen'.  Basically, 'screen' allows you to use a shell a bit like the tabbed browsing in Firefox (or Opera, IE7, etc.) by creating a framework wherein you can create new virtual shells and switch between them using keyboard shortcuts.  What is more, you can label the virtual shells and even copy/paste text between them.  I can give you plenty of information about using 'screen' if you want it, what I'm getting around to is that if I was in your situation I would have the python interpreter running in one virtual shell whilst running vim in another virtual shell.


-Robert