MatplotLib Data Directory
-------------------------

For various functions to work, for example 

  help() -> modules

you need to set the environmental variable:

  $ export MATPLOTLIBDATA=/usr/share/matplotlib/


Change the backend
------------------

From matplotlib version 0.98.3-6 the default backend in Debian is 'TkAgg', the
simplest backend available in most context.

If you want to change it, you have two ways: system wide, changing the file

  /etc/matplotlibrc

or on a user basis, changing the file

  $HOME/.config/matplotlib/matplotlibrc

to add or modify a line like this:

  backend : <backend>

  # Default backend, one of: GTK GTKAgg GTKCairo GTK3Agg GTK3Cairo CocoaAgg
  # MacOSX QtAgg Qt4Agg TkAgg WX WXAgg Agg Cairo GDK PS PDF SVG Template
  #
  # The Agg, Ps, Pdf and SVG backends do not require external
  # dependencies. Do not choose GTK, GTKAgg, GTKCairo, TkAgg or WXAgg if
  # you have disabled the relevant extension modules.

so usually, you can have a backend if you have the Python bindings installed:

  GTK+ -> python-gtk2
  Tk   -> python-tk
  QT   -> python-qt4, python-sip
  WX   -> python-wxgtk2.6 or python-wxgtk2.8
  GTK3 -> gir1.2-gtk-3.0, python-gi, python-gobject


Use MatplotLib with pkg_resources.require()
-------------------------------------------

If you want to use MatplotLib like this:

  python -c 'import pkg_resources; pkg_resources.require("matplotlib")'

(also in the Python3 flavour), you'll have to instal python-nose and
python-tornado (as specified in the Suggest field) or python3-nose and
python3-tornado if you're aiming at py3k.