Matplotlib: display plot on a remote machine

Question

I have a python code doing some calculation on a remote machine, named A. I connect on A via ssh from a machine named B. Is there a way to display the figure on

Answer 1

The following worked for me using Mac OS X on the local machine (machine B) and ubuntu on the remote (machine A).

You need X11 server installed on your local machine to do this.

If you're running a recent version of Mac OSX (OS X Mountain Lion or newer), it would NOT have come with X11 pre-installed (see http://support.apple.com/kb/ht5293). Check if you have X11 by opening up Mac terminal, and run command xterm. If an X11 window opens up, you're all set. If it says command not found, then go to http://xquartz.macosforge.org/landing/ and install X11 server. Then logout and log back in to your mac.

After you log back in, try to run xterm command again. It should open up X11 window. At this point your $DISPLAY variable should also be set correctly. If it's not set, make sure you've logged in/out since installing X11 from XQuartz.

echo $DISPLAY
/tmp/launch-I9I3aI/org.macosforge.xquartz:0

Then from your local machine, use ssh -X to remote into remote machine A:

ssh -X user@machineA

Then on the remote machine:

python
>>> import matplotlib
>>> matplotlib.use('GTKAgg')  #I had to use GTKAgg for this to work, GTK threw errors
>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt  #...  and now do whatever you need...

Make sure you call matplotlib.use BEFORE importing anything else from matplotlib (e.g. matplotlib.pyplot)

Other useful troubleshooting tips on using ssh -X : http://oroborosx.sourceforge.net/remotex.html#usessh