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GeezerVison is showing github.com — Do not enable default Matplotlib backend when checking what the backend is by ianthomas23 · Pull Request #38 · ipython/matplotlib-inline

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ianthomas23 commented Oct 17, 2024

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Fixes #37 and #25.

When importing backend_inline the function _enable_matplotlib_integration() is automatically called and this checks what the current Matplotlib backend is. Previously calling matplotlib.get_backend() if no backend was currently set would as a side-effect force it to be the default backend for that OS rather than leaving it unset. Changing it to matplotlib.rcParams._get("backend") avoids the side-effect thus fixing the problem.

Although rcParams._get is a private function this is in fact the correct function to use as explained in the Matplotlib source code:
https://github.com/matplotlib/matplotlib/blob/eb812a8e479d0bcf43a30232c31afec78963ed53/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py#L698-L713

To reproduce the original problem and confirm this PR fixes it use the following on the main branch and this PR branch:

Create file ~/.ipython/profile_default/ipython_kernel_config.py containing the single line c.InteractiveShellApp.matplotlib = 'inline'.
Use either jupyter lab or jupyter qtconsole and run the following code: import matplotlib.pyplot as plt; plt.plot([1,3,2])

On main branch this uses the wrong Matplotlib backend and on this PR branch it used the correct inline backend.

I have manually tested other use cases of using Matplotlib in ipython and jupyter and it looks like this fix does not introduce any new problems.

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ianthomas23 added 2 commits

October 17, 2024 12:56


          Do not enable default Matplotlib backend when checking what the backe…

3e22c27

…nd is


          Update test images

29d915c

ianthomas23 commented Oct 17, 2024

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The test image changes are on the main branch rather than this PR; I have included them here rather than create a separate PR.

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ianthomas23 mentioned this pull request

Oct 29, 2024

[MNT]: Improve backend selection API matplotlib/matplotlib#26406

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ianthomas23 marked this pull request as draft

October 29, 2024 14:57

ianthomas23 commented Oct 29, 2024

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I've converted this to Draft as there are changes planned in Matplotlib that will make the fix different and better.

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          Use improved syntax for matplotlib >= 3.10

8dad284

ianthomas23 marked this pull request as ready for review

November 8, 2024 08:38

ianthomas23 commented Nov 8, 2024

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This is now ready. After this is merged I would like a new release.

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Carreau merged commit d7df790 into ipython:main

Dec 10, 2024

Carreau commented Dec 10, 2024

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Sorry I missed that ping me if this get delayed.

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Carreau commented Dec 10, 2024

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I've made you maintainer to unblock you a bit.

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ianthomas23 deleted the 37-no-auto-enable branch

December 10, 2024 11:00

This was referenced Mar 3, 2025

Importing backend_inline triggers selection of QtAgg backend and tie-in of GUI event loop in IPython #25

Closed

Do not trigger backend auto-resolution #26

Closed

misc IPython 9 compatibility ipython/ipyparallel#931

Merged

ksunden mentioned this pull request

Jul 25, 2025

[Bug]: Using an ipython config of InteractiveShellApp.matplotlib='inline' fails on macos for matplotlib>3.9.0 matplotlib/matplotlib#28855

Closed

timhoffm added a commit to timhoffm/matplotlib that referenced this pull request

Jan 14, 2026


          MNT: Deprecate rcParams._get("backend")

f343d24

since 3.10 we have the official API `matplotlib.get_backend
(auto_select=False)`. No problems have been reported and
matplotlib-inline is using it https://github
.com/ipython/matplotlib-inline/pull/38. Therefore, I remove the
provisional status from the auto-select flag.

Additionally, I deprecate the API rcParams._get('backend'), which the
above is replacing.

It seems that `rcParams._get("backend")` is not used anywhere
publically, but let's still be defensive and deprecate.

https://github.com/search?q=%2F%5C._get%5C%28%5B%22%27%5Dbackend%5B%22%27%5D%5C%29%2F+language%3APython+NOT+is%3Afork+NOT+path%3A**%2Fmatplotlib%2F**+NOT+path%3A**%2Fsite-packages**+NOT+path%3A**%2Fpyplot.py&type=code

This is working towards matplotlib#26406.
Follow-up to matplotlib#29039.

timhoffm mentioned this pull request

Jan 14, 2026

MNT: Deprecate rcParams._get("backend") matplotlib/matplotlib#30963

Closed

timhoffm added a commit to timhoffm/matplotlib that referenced this pull request

Jan 14, 2026


          MNT: Deprecate rcParams._get("backend")

7e92025

since 3.10 we have the official API `matplotlib.get_backend
(auto_select=False)`. No problems have been reported and
matplotlib-inline is using it https://github
.com/ipython/matplotlib-inline/pull/38. Therefore, I remove the
provisional status from the auto-select flag.

Additionally, I deprecate the API rcParams._get('backend'), which the
above is replacing.

It seems that `rcParams._get("backend")` is not used anywhere
publically, but let's still be defensive and deprecate.

https://github.com/search?q=%2F%5C._get%5C%28%5B%22%27%5Dbackend%5B%22%27%5D%5C%29%2F+language%3APython+NOT+is%3Afork+NOT+path%3A**%2Fmatplotlib%2F**+NOT+path%3A**%2Fsite-packages**+NOT+path%3A**%2Fpyplot.py&type=code

This is working towards matplotlib#26406.
Follow-up to matplotlib#29039.

timhoffm added a commit to timhoffm/matplotlib that referenced this pull request

Jan 14, 2026


          MNT: Deprecate rcParams._get("backend")

fc8fb3a

since 3.10 we have the official API `matplotlib.get_backend
(auto_select=False)`. No problems have been reported and
matplotlib-inline is using it https://github
.com/ipython/matplotlib-inline/pull/38. Therefore, I remove the
provisional status from the auto-select flag.

Additionally, I deprecate the API rcParams._get('backend'), which the
above is replacing.

It seems that `rcParams._get("backend")` is not used anywhere
publically, but let's still be defensive and deprecate.

https://github.com/search?q=%2F%5C._get%5C%28%5B%22%27%5Dbackend%5B%22%27%5D%5C%29%2F+language%3APython+NOT+is%3Afork+NOT+path%3A**%2Fmatplotlib%2F**+NOT+path%3A**%2Fsite-packages**+NOT+path%3A**%2Fpyplot.py&type=code

This is working towards matplotlib#26406.
Follow-up to matplotlib#29039.

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Do not automatically resolve default Matplotlib backend

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