python complain about "This application failed to start because it could not find or load the Qt platform plugin 'xcb' " after an update of matplotlib

[jdhao]

I am using CentOS 7 and Anaconda 2. Recently, I updated the matplotlib package using conda, if I type
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt, the python interpreter will complain about

This application failed to start because it could not find or load the Qt platform plugin "xcb".
Reinstalling the application may fix this problem

I tried to remove pyqt and then reinstall the package, but that does not help. Finally I have to remove the
entire Anaconda install and reinstall Anaconda.

Is there a better way to solve this problem?

[tacaswell]

try removing and reinstalling qt as well?

What channels did you install from and what is currently in your enviroment?

This probably should be reported against continuum rather than against mpl.

[jdhao]

@tacaswell ,yes, I have tried to remove qt and reinstall it. No effect.
Now I use the matplotlib (version number 1.5.1) bundled with Anaconda, everything is fine.
I think the problem is due to the update of matplotlib.

[dopplershift]

What version of matplotlib was causing the problem?

[jdhao]

@dopplershift, currently I am using matplotlib 1.5.1, the newest version available for Anaconda is 1.5.3. So I think it is matplotlib 1.5.3 which is causing the problem.

[tacaswell]

Closing this as this is not an issue with mpl, but an issue with the packaging by Continuum (which we have no control over).

This is probably a duplicate of ContinuumIO/anaconda-issues#1182 . If not, please raise a new issue on https://github.com/ContinuumIO/anaconda-issues/issues

[jdhao]

For anyone who have met the same problem. In my system, the problem is that matplotlib is using the qt dynamic library provided by the system, as indicated by ContinuumIO/anaconda-issues#1249. The solution is to remove the /usr/lib64 (on CentOS system) from the LD_LIBRARY_PATH . Then you should be able to import matplotlib.pyplot as plt without the above error message.

[mimoralea]

@jdhao thanks for following up. A quick unset LD_LIBRARY_PATH shows that the issue is exactly that. Thank you.

[motikadosh]

Solved by installing matplotlib from pip instead of conda (In my case both had matplotlib version 2.0.2)

[unicoe]

@motikadosh Thank you! your method help me~

[mimoralea]

pip uninstall matplotlib
pip install matplotlib

Does it for me.