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I am installing Python 3.31 on a Mac running OS 10.8.2 and have already installed ActiveTCL 8.5.13. When I try and launch IDLE, the icon appears on the dock for a second and then disappears and the application doesn't run. I have already installed both Python and Active TCL in the same way on two other Macs and it has run just fine, so I don't know why it's not running on this one. Is there anything specific that would cause this to happen?
Thanks,
Ben

How are you trying to launch IDLE? Also, use the Console.app (in /Applications/Utilites) to examine system.log to see if there are any error messages produced there when you attempt to launch IDLE.

Hi there,
I'm launching IDLE from Applications in Finder (double clicking the application file). 
I've tried doing this while Console is open and the response is:
28/04/2013 21:17:19.271 Dock[167]: no information back from LS about running process
Thanks,
Ben
On 28 Apr 2013, at 20:04, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> 
> Ned Deily added the comment:
> 
> How are you trying to launch IDLE? Also, use the Console.app (in /Applications/Utilites) to examine system.log to see if there are any error messages produced there when you attempt to launch IDLE.
> 
> ----------
> nosy: +ned.deily
> 
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue17864>
> _______________________________________

OK, assuming you are using a default install of Python 3.3.1, try opening a terminal window (Terminal.app) and launching IDLE from there by typing:
/usr/local/bin/python3.3 -c 'import sys;print(sys.version)'
/usr/local/bin/python3.3 -m idlelib
and report what messages you see there.
Also, are there any other messages with "com.apple.launchd.peruser" or "org.python.IDLE" immediately before that one? You can use Console.app to see if there are any relevant crash reports under User Diagnostic Reports. You could use Activity Monitor.app to see if there is already an IDLE or Python process running. If you can, try logging -out and -in and/or rebooting. And which Python 3.3.1 did you install: from the python.org 3.3.1 64-bit/32-bit installer, from the python.org 3.3.1 32-bit-only installer, or from somewhere else?

In response to the first command:
3.3.1 (v3.3.1:d9893d13c628, Apr 6 2013, 11:07:11) 
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5666) (dot 3)]
...and the second command:
Warning: unable to create user config directory
/Users/ben/.idlerc
 Check path and permissions.
 Exiting!
I've checked console and activity monitor and cannot see any further reference to IDLE. The message I sent previously was the only one shown in 'All Messages' after a marker I added to know where to start from. 
I downloaded Python 3.31 from the official site and selected the 64bit version. I ran the ActiveTCL 8.5.13 download first. 
Thanks,
Ben
On 28 Apr 2013, at 21:59, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> 
> Ned Deily added the comment:
> 
> OK, assuming you are using a default install of Python 3.3.1, try opening a terminal window (Terminal.app) and launching IDLE from there by typing:
> 
> /usr/local/bin/python3.3 -c 'import sys;print(sys.version)'
> /usr/local/bin/python3.3 -m idlelib
> 
> and report what messages you see there.
> 
> Also, are there any other messages with "com.apple.launchd.peruser" or "org.python.IDLE" immediately before that one? You can use Console.app to see if there are any relevant crash reports under User Diagnostic Reports. You could use Activity Monitor.app to see if there is already an IDLE or Python process running. If you can, try logging -out and -in and/or rebooting. And which Python 3.3.1 did you install: from the python.org 3.3.1 64-bit/32-bit installer, from the python.org 3.3.1 32-bit-only installer, or from somewhere else?
> 
> ----------
> 
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue17864>
> _______________________________________

That's really odd. It looks you have a permissions problem with your home directory. On startup, IDLE attempts to create the directory .idlerc in your home directory, /Users/ben, if it doesn't exist already. If for some reason the directory creation fails, IDLE aborts. Interestingly, if the directory exists but IDLE lacks write permission to create files in it, it does not abort but posts a warning message in a window. Perhaps it could be a little more consistent about that. But still, this appears to be avery unusual situation. I can't think of any reason why IDLE would be unable to create a directory unless you have some security system installed or some unusual access control list setting. The most likely reason is just a plain old permission problem on your home directory. Try this in a terminal session:
cd ~
ls -lde ~
You should see something similar to this:
drwxr-xr-x+ 38 nad staff 2992 Apr 28 15:26 /Users/nad/
 0: group:everyone deny delete
if the permissions string is missing the "w" ("dr-xr-x"), that means you do not have write permission to your home directory and can't create new directories there. In that case, 
mkdir ~/.idlerc
should fail. (This is essentially what IDLE is trying to do.)
If you are missing write permission on your home directory, you *should* be able to fix it by doing:
chmod u+w ~

I've tried this and it looks like write access is already enabled, but I entered the commands you listed all the same - here's the output:
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ cd
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ ls -lde
drwxr-xr-x 28 temp staff 952 28 Apr 18:46 .
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ mkdir /.idlerc
mkdir: /.idlerc: Permission denied
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ chmod u+w
usage:	chmod [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-a | +a | =a [i][# [ n]]] mode|entry file ...
	chmod [-fhv] [-R [-H | -L | -P]] [-E | -C | -N | -i | -I] file ...
Bens-iMac:~ ben$ mkdir /.idlerc
mkdir: /.idlerc: Permission denied
On 28 Apr 2013, at 23:43, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> 
> Ned Deily added the comment:
> 
> That's really odd. It looks you have a permissions problem with your home directory. On startup, IDLE attempts to create the directory .idlerc in your home directory, /Users/ben, if it doesn't exist already. If for some reason the directory creation fails, IDLE aborts. Interestingly, if the directory exists but IDLE lacks write permission to create files in it, it does not abort but posts a warning message in a window. Perhaps it could be a little more consistent about that. But still, this appears to be avery unusual situation. I can't think of any reason why IDLE would be unable to create a directory unless you have some security system installed or some unusual access control list setting. The most likely reason is just a plain old permission problem on your home directory. Try this in a terminal session:
> 
> cd ~
> ls -lde ~
> 
> You should see something similar to this:
> drwxr-xr-x+ 38 nad staff 2992 Apr 28 15:26 /Users/nad/
> 0: group:everyone deny delete
> 
> if the permissions string is missing the "w" ("dr-xr-x"), that means you do not have write permission to your home directory and can't create new directories there. In that case, 
> 
> mkdir ~/.idlerc
> 
> should fail. (This is essentially what IDLE is trying to do.)
> 
> If you are missing write permission on your home directory, you *should* be able to fix it by doing:
> 
> chmod u+w ~
> 
> ----------
> 
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue17864>
> _______________________________________

The "ls" shows that, for some reason, your home directory is owned by user "temp", not by user "ben". That's not good. Try doing this:
sudo chown ben /Users/ben/
But we're way past an IDLE or Python problem here. This is a basic Unix system administration issue.

This looks like a duplicate of issue8231.

Ah, yes, it is a duplicate, thanks. Let's move any further discussion to Issue8231.

Good news - ran the sudo command, entered the password but I could still not make the directory, but I could within Finder - this time without a password. Tried the IDLE application again and it now works. 
Thank you once again for your help in resolving this. 
Regards,
Ben
Begin forwarded message:
> From: Ben Read <ben@denmarkfarmbarn.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [issue17864] IDLE won't run
> Date: 29 April 2013 22:12:03 BST
> To: Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> 
> Thank you for getting me this far - it's funny that Python has been the program to make this problem apparent, but looking closer, there are other issues such as not being able to create a new folder in the user folder without entering username and password.
> 
> I appreciate your help in diagnosing the problem.
> 
> Ben
> 
> 
> On 29 Apr 2013, at 10:37, Ned Deily <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> 
>> 
>> Ned Deily added the comment:
>> 
>> The "ls" shows that, for some reason, your home directory is owned by user "temp", not by user "ben". That's not good. Try doing this:
>> 
>> sudo chown ben /Users/ben/
>> 
>> But we're way past an IDLE or Python problem here. This is a basic Unix system administration issue.
>> 
>> ----------
>> 
>> _______________________________________
>> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
>> <http://bugs.python.org/issue17864>
>> _______________________________________
>