Ipython: OperationalError: attempt to write a readonly database

Created on 12 Jan 2015 · 4Comments · Source: ipython/ipython

Ubuntu 14.04 LTS Python 2.7.6
Only use "sudo ipython" can open ipython, install by "sudo apt-get install ipython"

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/bin/ipython", line 6, in
start_ipython()
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/init.py", line 118, in start_ipython
return launch_new_instance(argv=argv, *_kwargs)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/config/application.py", line 545, in launch_instance
app.initialize(argv)
File "", line 2, in initialize
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/config/application.py", line 89, in catch_config_error
return method(app, *args, *_kwargs)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/terminal/ipapp.py", line 323, in initialize
self.init_shell()
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/terminal/ipapp.py", line 339, in init_shell
ipython_dir=self.ipython_dir, user_ns=self.user_ns)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/config/configurable.py", line 349, in instance
inst = cls(_args, *_kwargs)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/terminal/interactiveshell.py", line 320, in init
*_kwargs
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py", line 456, in init
self.init_history()
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/core/interactiveshell.py", line 1480, in init_history
self.history_manager = HistoryManager(shell=self, parent=self)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/core/history.py", line 481, in init
self.new_session()
File "", line 2, in new_session
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/core/history.py", line 65, in needs_sqlite
return f(self, *a, *_kw)
File "/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/IPython/core/history.py", line 499, in new_session
NULL, "") """, (datetime.datetime.now(),))
OperationalError: attempt to write a readonly database

needs-info

Source

zhao-ji

👍1

Most helpful comment

It start working by excute:

chown -R user-name:root ~/.ipython

_thank you!_

zhao-ji on 13 Jan 2015

👍4

All 4 comments

Did you get this with sudo ipython or ipython? What is the result of ipython locate ?
Does $(ipython locate)/profile_default have history.sqlite with the wrong rights ? (if so delete it & retry; or change permissions/owners)

Same as above with sudo ipython locate if it did not work.

We do not maintain the debian/ubuntu package, so if this is due to the way apt install it, there is nothing we can do here.