AttributeError: 'spawn' object has no attribute 'ptyproc'

[lstagner]

This issue was sent to me by email.

I am trying to download your IPython IDL kernel, running into the following error message in the command line after running:

rgntgw1-0-232-dhcp:~ benjamingerard$ ipython console --kernel IDL
IPython Console 3.1.0
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AttributeError                            Traceback (most recent call last)
/Applications/Ureka/python/lib/python2.7/runpy.pyc in _run_module_as_main(mod_name='idl_kernel', alter_argv=1)
    160         sys.argv[0] = fname
    161     return _run_code(code, main_globals, None,
--> 162                      "__main__", fname, loader, pkg_name)
        fname = '/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py'
        loader = <pkgutil.ImpLoader instance at 0x1007ba950>
        pkg_name = ''
    163
    164 def run_module(mod_name, init_globals=None,

/Applications/Ureka/python/lib/python2.7/runpy.pyc in _run_code(code=<code object <module> at 0x1007bb830, file "/App...b/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py", line 1>, run_globals={'EOF': <class 'pexpect.exceptions.EOF'>, 'IDLKernel': <class '__main__.IDLKernel'>, 'IPKernelApp': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>, 'Kernel': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelbase.Kernel'>, '__builtins__': <module '__builtin__' (built-in)>, '__doc__': None, '__file__': '/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py', '__loader__': <pkgutil.ImpLoader instance>, '__name__': '__main__', '__package__': '', ...}, init_globals=None, mod_name='__main__', mod_fname='/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py', mod_loader=<pkgutil.ImpLoader instance>, pkg_name='')
     70                        __loader__ = mod_loader,
     71                        __package__ = pkg_name)
---> 72     exec code in run_globals
        code = <code object <module> at 0x1007bb830, file "/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py", line 1>
        run_globals = {'spawn': <class 'pexpect.pty_spawn.spawn'>, 'EOF': <class 'pexpect.exceptions.EOF'>, 'b64encode': <function b64encode at 0x101e37f50>, '__loader__': <pkgutil.ImpLoader instance at 0x1007ba950>, 'version_pat': <_sre.SRE_Pattern object at 0x1030ec9c0>, 're': <module 're' from '/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/re.pyc'>, 'tempfile': <module 'tempfile' from '/Applications/Ureka/python/lib/python2.7/tempfile.pyc'>, '__package__': '', 'publish_display_data': <function publish_display_data at 0x101ebd5f0>, '__version__': '0.4', '__file__': '/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py', 'find_executable': <function find_executable at 0x1032865f0>, '__builtins__': <module '__builtin__' (built-in)>, 'glob': <function glob at 0x101c43c80>, 'rmtree': <function rmtree at 0x101b5ac80>, '__name__': '__main__', 'replwrap': <module 'pexpect.replwrap' from '/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pexpect/replwrap.pyc'>, 'Kernel': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelbase.Kernel'>, 'locate_profile': <function locate_profile at 0x101cf00c8>, 'IDLKernel': <class '__main__.IDLKernel'>, 'signal': <module 'signal' (built-in)>, '__doc__': None, 'check_output': <function check_output at 0x101cbfb90>, 'IPKernelApp': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>, 'os': <module 'os' from '/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/os.pyc'>}
     73     return run_globals
     74

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py in <module>()
    227 if __name__ == '__main__':
    228     from IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp import IPKernelApp
--> 229     IPKernelApp.launch_instance(kernel_class=IDLKernel)
        global IPKernelApp.launch_instance = <bound method MetaHasTraits.launch_instance of <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>>
        global kernel_class = undefined
        global IDLKernel = <class '__main__.IDLKernel'>

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/config/application.pyc in launch_instance(cls=<class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>, argv=None, **kwargs={'kernel_class': <class '__main__.IDLKernel'>})
    571         """
    572         app = cls.instance(**kwargs)
--> 573         app.initialize(argv)
        app.initialize = <bound method IPKernelApp.initialize of <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036fcd90>>
        argv = None
    574         app.start()
    575

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelapp.pyc in initialize(self=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, argv=None)

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/config/application.pyc in catch_config_error(method=<function initialize>, app=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, *args=(None,), **kwargs={})
     73     """
     74     try:
---> 75         return method(app, *args, **kwargs)
        method = <function initialize at 0x103703050>
        app = <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036fcd90>
        args = (None,)
        kwargs = {}
     76     except (TraitError, ArgumentError) as e:
     77         app.print_help()

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelapp.pyc in initialize(self=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, argv=None)
    353         self.init_io()
    354         self.init_signal()
--> 355         self.init_kernel()
        self.init_kernel = <bound method IPKernelApp.init_kernel of <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036fcd90>>
    356         # shell init steps
    357         self.init_path()

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelapp.pyc in init_kernel(self=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>)
    308                                 log=self.log,
    309                                 profile_dir=self.profile_dir,
--> 310                                 user_ns=self.user_ns,
        global user_ns = undefined
        self.user_ns = None
    311         )
    312         kernel.record_ports(self.ports)

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/config/configurable.pyc in instance(cls=<class '__main__.IDLKernel'>, *args=(), **kwargs={'iopub_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'log': <logging.Logger object>, 'parent': <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, 'profile_dir': <IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir object>, 'session': <IPython.kernel.zmq.session.Session object>, 'shell_streams': [<zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>, <zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>], 'stdin_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'user_ns': None})
    335         # Create and save the instance
    336         if cls._instance is None:
--> 337             inst = cls(*args, **kwargs)
        inst = undefined
        cls = <class '__main__.IDLKernel'>
        args = ()
        kwargs = {'log': <logging.Logger object at 0x103709310>, 'parent': <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036fcd90>, 'shell_streams': [<zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object at 0x10374c310>, <zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object at 0x10374c590>], 'user_ns': None, 'iopub_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object at 0x103732d50>, 'profile_dir': <IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir object at 0x1037094d0>, 'session': <IPython.kernel.zmq.session.Session object at 0x10373ca90>, 'stdin_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object at 0x103732db8>}
    338             # Now make sure that the instance will also be returned by
    339             # parent classes' _instance attribute.

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py in __init__(self=<__main__.IDLKernel object>, **kwargs={'iopub_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'log': <logging.Logger object>, 'parent': <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, 'profile_dir': <IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir object>, 'session': <IPython.kernel.zmq.session.Session object>, 'shell_streams': [<zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>, <zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>], 'stdin_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'user_ns': None})
     51     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
     52         Kernel.__init__(self, **kwargs)
---> 53         self._start_idl()
        self._start_idl = <bound method IDLKernel._start_idl of <__main__.IDLKernel object at 0x10374c6d0>>
     54
     55         try:

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py in _start_idl(self=<__main__.IDLKernel object>)
     75             self._executable = find_executable("gdl")
     76             self._child  = spawn(self._executable,timeout = 300)
---> 77             self.idlwrapper = replwrap.REPLWrapper(self._child,u"GDL> ",None)
        self.idlwrapper = undefined
        global replwrap.REPLWrapper = <class 'pexpect.replwrap.REPLWrapper'>
        self._child = <pexpect.pty_spawn.spawn object at 0x10374c8d0>
        global None = undefined
     78         finally:
     79             signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, sig)

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pexpect/replwrap.pyc in __init__(self=<pexpect.replwrap.REPLWrapper object>, cmd_or_spawn=<pexpect.pty_spawn.spawn object>, orig_prompt=u'GDL> ', prompt_change=None, new_prompt=u'[PEXPECT_PROMPT>', continuation_prompt=u'[PEXPECT_PROMPT+', extra_init_cmd=None)
     45             # Existing spawn instance has echo enabled, disable it
     46             # to prevent our input from being repeated to output.
---> 47             self.child.setecho(False)
        self.child.setecho = <bound method spawn.setecho of <pexpect.pty_spawn.spawn object at 0x10374c8d0>>
        global False = undefined
     48             self.child.waitnoecho()
     49

/Applications/Ureka/variants/common/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pexpect/pty_spawn.pyc in setecho(self=<pexpect.pty_spawn.spawn object>, state=False)
    381         Not supported on platforms where ``isatty()`` returns False.
    382         '''
--> 383         return self.ptyproc.setecho(state)
        self.ptyproc.setecho = undefined
        state = False
    384
    385         self.echo = state

AttributeError: 'spawn' object has no attribute 'ptyproc'

can you help me fix this or direct me to someone who can?

[lstagner]

If I were to hazard a guess I would say that some of your dependencies are out of date. I would suggest updating your dependencies such as Pexpect, pyzmq, and IPython. The easiest way to do this is to install the anaconda python distribution for the python 3 series. It installs in your local directory so you dont need to worry about permissions.

If that doesn't work let me know. Its been a while since I worked on this so it may very well be broken.

[lstagner]

It looks like you are using the development version of pexpect. Try switching to Pexpect 3.3

[bege5080]

I am now using anaconda and Pexpect 3.3, but still get the following error:

Admins-MacBook-Pro-6:~ benjamingerard$ ipython console --kernel IDL
WARNING: Attempting to work in a virtualenv. If you encounter problems, please install IPython inside the virtualenv.

IPython Console 3.2.0

ValueError Traceback (most recent call last)
/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/runpy.pyc in _run_module_as_main(mod_name='idl_kernel', alter_argv=1)
160 sys.argv[0] = fname
161 return _run_code(code, main_globals, None,
--> 162 "main", fname, loader, pkg_name)
fname = '/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py'
loader = <pkgutil.ImpLoader instance at 0x1005dac20>
pkg_name = ''
163
164 def run_module(mod_name, init_globals=None,

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/runpy.pyc in _run_code(code=<code object at 0x1005ed230, file "/Use...b/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py", line 1>, run_globals={'EOF': <class 'pexpect.EOF'>, 'IDLKernel': <class 'main.IDLKernel'>, 'IPKernelApp': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>, 'Kernel': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelbase.Kernel'>, 'builtins': <module 'builtin' (built-in)>, 'doc': None, 'file': '/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py', 'loader': <pkgutil.ImpLoader instance>, 'name': 'main', 'package': '', ...}, init_globals=None, mod_name='main', mod_fname='/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py', mod_loader=<pkgutil.ImpLoader instance>, pkg_name='')
70 loader = mod_loader,
71 package = pkg_name)
---> 72 exec code in run_globals
code = <code object at 0x1005ed230, file "/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py", line 1>
run_globals = {'spawn': <class 'pexpect.spawn'>, 'EOF': <class 'pexpect.EOF'>, 'b64encode': <function b64encode at 0x102f311b8>, 'loader': <pkgutil.ImpLoader instance at 0x1005dac20>, 'version_pat': <_sre.SRE_Pattern object at 0x1036b1030>, 're': <module 're' from '/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/re.pyc'>, 'tempfile': <module 'tempfile' from '/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/tempfile.pyc'>, 'package': '', 'publish_display_data': <function publish_display_data at 0x102fc2e60>, 'version': '0.4', 'file': '/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py', 'find_executable': <function find_executable at 0x1036a7d70>, 'builtins': <module 'builtin' (built-in)>, 'glob': <function glob at 0x102d2f8c0>, 'rmtree': <function rmtree at 0x102a527d0>, 'name': 'main', 'replwrap': <module 'pexpect.replwrap' from '/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pexpect/replwrap.pyc'>, 'Kernel': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelbase.Kernel'>, 'locate_profile': <function locate_profile at 0x102d945f0>, 'IDLKernel': <class 'main.IDLKernel'>, 'signal': <module 'signal' (built-in)>, 'doc': None, 'check_output': <function check_output at 0x102d616e0>, 'IPKernelApp': <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>, 'os': <module 'os' from '/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/os.pyc'>}
73 return run_globals
74

/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py in ()
216 if name == 'main':
217 from IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp import IPKernelApp
--> 218 IPKernelApp.launch_instance(kernel_class=IDLKernel)
global IPKernelApp.launch_instance = <bound method MetaHasTraits.launch_instance of <class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>>
global kernel_class = undefined
global IDLKernel = <class 'main.IDLKernel'>

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/config/application.pyc in launch_instance(cls=<class 'IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp'>, argv=None, **kwargs={'kernel_class': <class 'main.IDLKernel'>})
571 """
572 app = cls.instance(**kwargs)
--> 573 app.initialize(argv)
app.initialize = <bound method IPKernelApp.initialize of <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036eac50>>
argv = None
574 app.start()
575

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelapp.pyc in initialize(self=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, argv=None)

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/config/application.pyc in catch_config_error(method=, app=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, _args=(None,), *_kwargs={})
73 """
74 try:
---> 75 return method(app, _args, *_kwargs)
method = <function initialize at 0x1036f5230>
app = <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036eac50>
args = (None,)
kwargs = {}
76 except (TraitError, ArgumentError) as e:
77 app.print_help()

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelapp.pyc in initialize(self=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, argv=None)
353 self.init_io()
354 self.init_signal()
--> 355 self.init_kernel()
self.init_kernel = <bound method IPKernelApp.init_kernel of <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036eac50>>
356 # shell init steps
357 self.init_path()

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/kernel/zmq/kernelapp.pyc in init_kernel(self=<IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>)
308 log=self.log,
309 profile_dir=self.profile_dir,
--> 310 user_ns=self.user_ns,
global user_ns = undefined
self.user_ns = None
311 )
312 kernel.record_ports(self.ports)

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/IPython/config/configurable.pyc in instance(cls=<class 'main.IDLKernel'>, _args=(), *_kwargs={'iopub_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'log': <logging.Logger object>, 'parent': <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, 'profile_dir': <IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir object>, 'session': <IPython.kernel.zmq.session.Session object>, 'shell_streams': [<zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>, <zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>], 'stdin_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'user_ns': None})
335 # Create and save the instance
336 if cls._instance is None:
--> 337 inst = cls(_args, *_kwargs)
inst = undefined
cls = <class 'main.IDLKernel'>
args = ()
kwargs = {'log': <logging.Logger object at 0x1037031d0>, 'parent': <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object at 0x1036eac50>, 'shell_streams': [<zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object at 0x10376e290>, <zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object at 0x10376e510>], 'user_ns': None, 'iopub_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object at 0x10373ef58>, 'profile_dir': <IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir object at 0x103703390>, 'session': <IPython.kernel.zmq.session.Session object at 0x10374ea10>, 'stdin_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object at 0x103765050>}
338 # Now make sure that the instance will also be returned by
339 # parent classes' _instance attribute.

/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py in init(self=<main.IDLKernel object>, *_kwargs={'iopub_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'log': <logging.Logger object>, 'parent': <IPython.kernel.zmq.kernelapp.IPKernelApp object>, 'profile_dir': <IPython.core.profiledir.ProfileDir object>, 'session': <IPython.kernel.zmq.session.Session object>, 'shell_streams': [<zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>, <zmq.eventloop.zmqstream.ZMQStream object>], 'stdin_socket': <zmq.sugar.socket.Socket object>, 'user_ns': None})
51 def init(self, *_kwargs):
52 Kernel.init(self, **kwargs)
---> 53 self._start_idl()
self._start_idl = <bound method IDLKernel._start_idl of <main.IDLKernel object at 0x10376e650>>
54
55 try:

/Users/benjamingerard/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/idl_kernel.py in _start_idl(self=<main.IDLKernel object>)
75 self._executable = find_executable("gdl")
76 self._child = spawn(self._executable,timeout = 300)
---> 77 self.idlwrapper = replwrap.REPLWrapper(self._child,u"GDL> ",None)
self.idlwrapper = undefined
global replwrap.REPLWrapper = <class 'pexpect.replwrap.REPLWrapper'>
self._child = <pexpect.spawn object at 0x10376e850>
global None = undefined
78 finally:
79 signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, sig)

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pexpect/replwrap.pyc in init(self=<pexpect.replwrap.REPLWrapper object>, cmd_or_spawn=<pexpect.spawn object>, orig_prompt=u'GDL> ', prompt_change=None, new_prompt=u'[PEXPECT_PROMPT>', continuation_prompt=u'[PEXPECT_PROMPT+')
41 # Existing spawn instance has echo enabled, disable it
42 # to prevent our input from being repeated to output.
---> 43 self.child.setecho(False)
self.child.setecho = <bound method spawn.setecho of <pexpect.spawn object at 0x10376e850>>
global False = undefined
44 self.child.waitnoecho()
45

/Users/benjamingerard/anaconda/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pexpect/init.pyc in setecho(self=<pexpect.spawn object>, state=False)
878
879 try:
--> 880 attr = termios.tcgetattr(self.child_fd)
attr = undefined
global termios.tcgetattr =
self.child_fd = -1
881 except termios.error as err:
882 if err.args[0] == errno.EINVAL:

ValueError: file descriptor cannot be a negative integer (-1)
ERROR: Kernel did not respond

Shutting down kernel

[lstagner]

Can you tell me what

from distutils.spawn import find_executable
print(find_executable("idl"))

gives when you run it in the python console

[bege5080]

In [44]: from distutils.spawn import find_executable

In [45]: print(find_executable("idl"))
None

[lstagner]

That's the problem. So this can be caused by two things

1. You don't have IDL installed
2. Its something to do with running in a virtualenv

The first you can fix by installing IDL. The second is more complicated since I am really not familiar with virtualenv. You may try running hash -r in the (bash) command line as suggested by this ipython issue

If neither of those things work I would suggest opening an ipython issue, referencing this issue