Error "cannot connect to X server localhost:14.0"

[Adam Witney]

Hi, 

I am running summarize_taxa_through_plots.py, but it gives an X11 error as shown below. I guess this is about it trying to create an X window session, on my server? Is it possible to just switch this behaviour off? All i need are the image files for output i don't need it to open an X window session

This is v1.9.1 by the way

Thanks

Adam

*** ERROR RAISED DURING STEP: Plot Taxonomy Summary

Command run was:

 plot_taxa_summary.py -i wf_taxa_summary/merged_L2.txt,wf_taxa_summary/merged_L3.txt,wf_taxa_summary/merged_L4.txt,wf_taxa_summary/merged_L5.txt,wf_taxa_summary/merged_L6.txt -o wf_taxa_summary/taxa_summary_plots/ --y_height 8 --chart_type bar

Command returned exit status: 1

Stdout:

Stderr

Xlib: connection to "localhost:14.0" refused by server

Xlib: MobaXterm X11 proxy: Authorisation not recognised

 : cannot connect to X server localhost:14.0

[Greg Caporaso]

Hi Adam,

This just came up for a different user - my guess is that it's an issue with the matplotlib backend. Could you try following the steps I'm describing here to switch to a backend that doesn't require an Xserver? I'll be interested to know whether this works for you.

Greg

[Adam Witney]

Hi Greg,

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

I tried this

 

mkdir $HOME/.matplotlib

echo "backend : agg" > $HOME/.matplotlib/matplotlibrc

 

but this didn’t seem to make any difference. I get the same error.

 

By the way I am using a local anaconda install of python if that makes any difference

 

Adam

 

[Greg Caporaso]

Hi Adam,

Can you please run the following two commands for me and reply with the output:

echo $DISPLAY

python -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.get_backend())"

Greg

[Adam Witney]

Hi Greg,

here is the output

$ echo $DISPLAY

localhost:14.0

$ python -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.get_backend())"

Qt4Agg

Adam

[Greg Caporaso]

Hey Adam, If that echo command that I gave you worked to update the config file, this should have returned agg. Could you post the contents of the config file - you can get that as follows:

cat $HOME/.matplotlib/matplotlibrc

[Adam Witney]

Hi Greg,

here it is:

$ cat $HOME/.matplotlib/matplotlibrc

backend : agg

$ python -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.get_backend())"

Qt4Agg

Thanks again

Adam

[Adam Witney]

Hi Greg,

just an update, after you pointing me in the right direction, I managed to solve this. I needed to set MATPLOTLIBRC  first:

$ setenv MATPLOTLIBRC ~/.matplotlib

$ less $MATPLOTLIBRC/matplotlibrc

backend : agg

$ python -c "import matplotlib; print(matplotlib.get_backend())"

agg

and it now works ok

thanks again

Adam

[Greg Caporaso]

Excellent, thanks for the update! 

Greg