Setting Matplotlib MPLCONFIGDIR: consider setting MPLCONFIGDIR to a writable directory for matplotlib configuration data

Question

I am using Linux server to set up a django project. I got this error: \"Failed to create /var/www/.matplotlib; consider setting MPLCONFIGDIR to a writable directory for matp

Answer 1

Set the MPLCONFIGDIR in code before you import matplotlib. Make sure the directory has permissions such that it can be written to by the app.

import os
os.environ['MPLCONFIGDIR'] = "/home/lab/website/graph"
import matplotlib

Alternatively, you could set it to a tempfile.

import os    
import tempfile
os.environ['MPLCONFIGDIR'] = tempfile.mkdtemp()
import matplotlib

Answer 2

If you happen to be working on an AWS Lambda, like I was when I came looking for answers to this, use the /tmp folder:

import os
os.environ['MPLCONFIGDIR'] = "/tmp"
import matplotlib

Answer 3

Per @Esteban I do something like this in modules or scripts:

import os

try:
    import matplotlib
except:
    import tempfile
    import atexit
    import shutil

    mpldir = tempfile.mkdtemp()
    atexit.register(shutil.rmtree, mpldir)  # rm directory on succ exit

    os.environ['MPLCONFIGDIR'] = mpldir

    import matplotlib

This way the temporary directory is removed on exit.