Unable to run IDLE without write-access to home directory

[cane]

BPO	8231
Nosy	@terryjreedy, @ned-deily, @serwy, @asvetlov, @roseman, @mlouielu
PRs	bpo-8231: Call idlelib.IdleConf.GetUserCfgDir only once. #2629 [3.6] bpo-8231: Call idlelib.IdleConf.GetUserCfgDir only once. (GH-2629) #2631
Dependencies	bpo-25507: IDLE: user code 'import tkinter; tkinter.font' should fail bpo-27534: IDLE: Reduce number and time for user process imports
Files	error.png: Error message @cfgdir.diff: Use temp dir as backup user config dir. @cfgdir2.diff

^{Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.}

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GitHub fields:

assignee = 'https://github.com/terryjreedy'
closed_at = None
created_at = <Date 2010-03-25.15:39:27.987>
labels = ['expert-IDLE', 'type-feature', '3.7']
title = 'Unable to run IDLE without write-access to home directory'
updated_at = <Date 2017-12-30.20:56:29.287>
user = 'https://bugs.python.org/cane'

bugs.python.org fields:

activity = <Date 2017-12-30.20:56:29.287>
actor = 'ned.deily'
assignee = 'terry.reedy'
closed = False
closed_date = None
closer = None
components = ['IDLE']
creation = <Date 2010-03-25.15:39:27.987>
creator = 'cane'
dependencies = ['25507', '27534']
files = ['16649', '40872', '40893']
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 8231
keywords = ['patch']
message_count = 34.0
messages = ['101708', '101716', '156771', '156773', '156774', '188115', '222687', '222694', '222709', '222716', '252042', '253404', '253413', '253414', '253561', '253575', '253588', '253604', '253637', '253668', '253681', '253714', '253719', '297255', '297914', '297915', '297923', '297926', '297976', '298023', '301835', '309247', '309250', '309257']
nosy_count = 9.0
nosy_names = ['terry.reedy', 'ned.deily', 'roger.serwy', 'asvetlov', 'markroseman', 'cane', 'John Gray', 'tealduck', 'louielu']
pr_nums = ['2629', '2631']
priority = 'normal'
resolution = None
stage = 'needs patch'
status = 'open'
superseder = None
type = 'enhancement'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue8231'
versions = ['Python 3.6', 'Python 3.7']

[cane]

When trying to run Python 2.6.5 & 3.1 IDLE GUI on Windows 7, I receive the following error that the "IDLE's subprocess didnt make connection. Either IDLE can't start a subprocess or personal firewall software is blocking the connection."

I've researched this error and tried following the steps to troubleshoot this error without any success. I do not have any firewall software installed or have the Microsoft firewall enabled. When following bpo-8099 and tring to set the TCL and TK library to the idle.py I get the error that I need to check the path and permissions. (see attached screenshot)

These workstations are setup in active directory enviroment where each username that logs into the workstation is a local administrator and the referenced "M:\" drive is a home directory that is mapped for them.

When the local administrator account logs into the workstation the user can execute the IDLE GUI without any issues.

I found reference in one article that the os.py creates a directory called ".idlerc".

I'm wondering if there is a way to hardcode a reference path that doesnt point to my "M:\" drive for this directory or is there something else that I can try to fix this issue?

Thanks,
Bryan

[briancurtin]

I just reproduced this by removing write access from my user for my home directory.

It seems odd that you wouldn't have write access to your home directory in the first place, but that's tangent to the issue. I'll see if there are other acceptable locations to attempt to place the config directory.

[asvetlov]

Let's close the issue next week as report doesn't make sense if issuer has no write access to own home dir.

[briancurtin]

Please don't close it. Users in this situation can't use IDLE. We should at least try alternative locations to create this directory or perhaps prompt them for a directory they'd like to use.

[asvetlov]

Good point. Thank you.

[ned-deily]

bpo-17864 is a duplicate of this. Also, note the error reported here is a result of IDLE not having write access in the user's home directory and thus cannot create the .idlerc directory. IDLE seems to handle more gracefully the case of .idlerc existing but not writable.