matplotlib-users Mailing List for matplotlib

Thank you to the people who are working on this project. I am beginning the transition from Matlab to Python, so I was excited to find matplotlib.
As John reported earllier:
 > I tested this on windows with idle. Idle now
 >respects matplotlibrc
 > and loads TkAgg. However, at least on my system,
 >there is still some
 > idle bug because the Tk window launches and then
 >freezes without
 > displaying the figure
Additionally, if I use the WX backend, the window launches but does not render the plot (the widgets are rendered.) I can close the window, but I dont recover the command line in IDLE. I exited all programs, and tried to uninstall matplotlib 0.53 to install 0.52. During the uninstall, I got a message that datetime.pyd (I wonder if I copied this name down incorrectly, I'm sorry) was in use and could not be deleted.
One other note: I havent been able to install the GTK runtime environment. I have been having a mess of dll conflicts with other files on my system path. I havent seen any advice on the web that would solve this problem. Can anyone point me in the right direction? The best advice I have seen is to specify a GTK_PATH environment variable, which should be searched for resources before defaulting to the PATH variable. I did this for both the system and user, but I am still getting the same conflicts. This concerns the quickstart advice for windows users on the matplotlib website. (One site even suggested deleting the conflicting dll's from the path in order to not block the GTK resources. Yikes.) 
Thanks again for matplotlib. I am finishing grad school in a few months. When I do, I would like to participate in the development if I can be of help.
Darren