If you are of the impatient kind, under Linux/Unix simply untar/unzip the download, then install with `python setup.py install'. Under Windows, double-click on the provided .exe binary installer.
Then, take a look at Sections 3 for configuring things optimally and 4 for quick tips on efficient use of IPython. You can later refer to the rest of the manual for all the gory details.
See the notes in sec. 2.4 for upgrading IPython versions.
For RPM based systems, simply install the supplied package in the usual manner. If you download the tar archive, the process is:
Users have reported some problems with Tk under OSX (quoting James Boyle from LLNL):
I almost exclusively use ipython in my work. However, I have a problem using ipython and Tk. Using pythonw I can use Tk without any problem.
I can start up using pythonw and perform the actions of the script by hand and get an ipython shell that can be used with Tk. Just using the ipython script and Tk results in the dreaded SetFrontProcess failed, -606.
My question is this - is there anyway to modify the ipython script to enable use of Tk. I would like to keep my usage of ipython consistent across platforms. I have looked at what pythonw does and what the ipython startup does but so far I have not gotten it to work. I am on OSX 10.3.5 and use the Apple python + the Mac Addons + Tk from package manager.The solution suggested by Bob Ippolito <bob-AT-redivi.com> is to start IPython via pythonw:
pythonw `which ipython`
This can be made into an alias, shown here for tcsh syntax:
alias ipythonw "pythonw `which ipython`"
After this, call ipythonw at the command line.
While you can use IPython under Windows with only a stock Python installation, there is one extension, readline, which will make the whole experience a lot more pleasant. It is almost a requirement, since IPython will complain in its absence (though it will function).
The readline extension needs two other libraries to work, so in all you need:
Some of IPython's very useful features are:
You can find Gary's tools at http://sourceforge.net/projects/uncpythontools; Gary's readline requires in turn the ctypes library by Thomas Heller, available at http://starship.python.net/crew/theller/ctypes, and Mark Hammond's PyWin32 from http://starship.python.net/crew/mhammond(PyWin32 is great for anything Windows-related anyway, so you might as well get it).
Under MS Windows, IPython will complain if it can not find this readline library at startup and any time the %colors command is issued, so you can consider it to be a quasi-requirement.
Once you have the above installed, from the IPython download directory grab the ipython-XXX.win32.exe file, where XXX represents the version number. This is a regular windows executable installer, which you can simply double-click to install. It will add an entry for IPython to your Start Menu, as well as registering IPython in the Windows list of applications, so you can later uninstall it from the Control Panel.
IPython tries to install the configuration information in a directory named .ipython (_ipython under Windows) located in your `home' directory. IPython sets this directory by looking for a HOME environment variable; if such a variable does not exist, it uses HOMEDRIVE\HOMEPATH (these are always defined by Windows). This typically gives something like C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName, but your local details may vary. In this directory you will find all the files that configure IPython's defaults, and you can put there your profiles and extensions. This directory is automatically added by IPython to sys.path, so anything you place there can be found by import statements.
For an IPython upgrade, you should first uninstall the previous version. This will ensure that all files and directories (such as the documentation) which carry embedded version strings in their names are properly removed.
In case the automatic installer does not work for some reason, you can download the ipython-XXX.tar.gz file, which contains the full IPython source distribution (the popular WinZip can read .tar.gz files). After uncompressing the archive, you can install it at a command terminal just like any other Python module, by using `python setup.py install'.
After the installation, run the supplied win32_manual_post_install.py script, which creates the necessary Start Menu shortcuts for you.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of IPython, after doing the routine installation described above, you should call IPython with the -upgrade option the first time you run your new copy. This will automatically update your configuration directory while preserving copies of your old files. You can then later merge back any personal customizations you may have made into the new files. It is a good idea to do this as there may be new options available in the new configuration files which you will not have.
Under Windows, if you don't know how to call python scripts with arguments from a command line, simply delete the old config directory and IPython will make a new one. Win2k and WinXP users will find it in C:\Documents and Settings\YourUserName\.ipython, and Win 9x users under C:\Program Files\IPython\.ipython.