Matplotlib on Python 2 bugs out when there are non-ASCII characters in user's home directory

[embray]

The matplotlib/__init__.py module contains from future import unicode_literals which is often inadvisable, as it can run afoul of some of Python's own unicode bugs.

In particular at one point it calls os.path.expanduser('~'), where because of unicode_literals this becomes os.path.expanduser(u'~'). This does not take care to decode the results of os.environ['HOME'] (assuming it is ASCII), and ends up concatenating a unicode string with a non-unicode string, which means trying to first decoded the non-unicode string with the default (ASCII) encoding.

This is a bug in matplotlib but it affects Sage users, particularly on Windows where non-ASCII usernames are more common (may also affect OSX users): https://ask.sagemath.org/question/40131/sagemath-80-using-windows-installer

Upstream report: matplotlib/matplotlib#10017

Depends on #25702

Upstream: Fixed upstream, in a later stable release.

CC: @slel @sagetrac-epalezzato

Component: packages: standard

Keywords: matplotlib, days94

Reviewer: Erik Bray

Issue created by migration from https://trac.sagemath.org/ticket/24379

[kiwifb]

comment:1

It looks like it is still present in the latest release (2.1.0), for which I have been working on an upgrade at #23696.

from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function,
                        unicode_literals)

[embray]

Changed upstream from Not yet reported upstream; Will do shortly. to Reported upstream. No feedback yet.

[sagetrac-epalezzato]

Changed upstream from Reported upstream. No feedback yet. to Fixed upstream, in a later stable release.

[sagetrac-epalezzato]

comment:4

This should be solved by upgrading to matplotlib 2.2.2 which has the upstream fix.

[sagetrac-epalezzato]

Changed keywords from none to matplotlib, days94

[sagetrac-epalezzato]

Dependencies: #25702

[kiwifb]

Author: François Bissey

[kiwifb]

comment:7

This is arguably fixed by #25702 (upgrade to MPL 2.2.2 with the fix).

[embray]

comment:8

Yep; IIRC this was fixed, thanks for the triaging.

[slel]

Changed author from François Bissey to none

[slel]

Reviewer: Erik Bray