Update make.py

[klonuo]

Referencing #6527, these changes provide:

• fix for symlink exception on Windows
• no need for rebuilding matplotlib from source

[tacaswell]

@efiring I think this should fix your issue building the docs?

[jenshnielsen]

Im a bit worried about coping the users default rc file for generating the documentation. This can result in the documentation unintentionally being generated with a non default style. Would it not be better to refactor the code out from setup.py that generates the rc file from the template and call that as part of make.py?

[tacaswell]

Is this rcparam actually used building the docs or is in just something we serve?

[klonuo]

@jenshnielsen is this ok?

--- a/doc/make.py
+++ b/doc/make.py
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@

 def html(buildername='html'):
     check_build()
-    copy_if_out_of_date('../lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc', '_static/matplotlibrc')
+    rc = '../lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc'
+    rc = os.path.exists(rc) and rc or '../matplotlibrc.template'
+    copy_if_out_of_date(rc, '_static/matplotlibrc')
     if small_docs:
         options = "-D plot_formats=png:80"
     else:

[efiring]

It looks like it is used only here:
http://matplotlib.org/users/customizing.html?highlight=matplotlibrc
in which case it is the template with only the backend specification uncommented. We could always use the template as-is, or we could always start with the template and make the single line modification to select a backend. This would make the docs build independent of the builder's platform, assuming there is a mechanism in place that assures default rcParams when making the plots for the docs.

[klonuo]

So I guess we should reference os.path.join(matplotlib._get_data_path(), 'matplotlibrc') instead?

That seems like default config, with only backend set.

[tacaswell]

@klonuo I think that is correct.

[jenshnielsen]

@klonuo Thanks

[jenshnielsen]

backported to 2.x as 96fb3a3