matplotlib · efiring · Aug 25, 2012 · Aug 23, 2012 · Aug 23, 2012
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py b/lib/matplotlib/__init__.py
@@ -466,6 +466,18 @@ def _get_home():
        raise RuntimeError('please define environment variable $HOME')


+def _create_tmp_config_dir():
+    """
+    If the config directory can not be created, create a temporary
+    directory.
+    """
+    import tempfile
+
+    tempdir = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), 'matplotlib')
+    os.environ['MPLCONFIGDIR'] = tempdir
+
+    return tempdir
+

 get_home = verbose.wrap('$HOME=%s', _get_home, always=False)

@@ -482,18 +494,18 @@ def _get_configdir():
        if not os.path.exists(configdir):
            os.makedirs(configdir)
        if not _is_writable_dir(configdir):
-            raise RuntimeError('Could not write to MPLCONFIGDIR="%s"'%configdir)
+            return _create_tmp_config_dir()
        return configdir

    h = get_home()
    p = os.path.join(get_home(), '.matplotlib')

    if os.path.exists(p):
        if not _is_writable_dir(p):
-            raise RuntimeError("'%s' is not a writable dir; you must set %s/.matplotlib to be a writable dir.  You can also set environment variable MPLCONFIGDIR to any writable directory where you want matplotlib data stored "% (h, h))
+            return _create_tmp_config_dir()
    else:
        if not _is_writable_dir(h):
-            raise RuntimeError("Failed to create %s/.matplotlib; consider setting MPLCONFIGDIR to a writable directory for matplotlib configuration data"%h)
+            return _create_tmp_config_dir()
        from matplotlib.cbook import mkdirs
        mkdirs(p)

@@ -922,7 +934,7 @@ class rc_context(object):
    >>>     with mpl.rc_context(fname='print.rc'):
    >>>         plt.plot(x, b)
    >>>     plt.plot(x, c)
-    
+
    The 'a' vs 'x' and 'c' vs 'x' plots would have settings from
    'screen.rc', while the 'b' vs 'x' plot would have settings from
    'print.rc'.