Cannot get MNIST database through Anaconda/jupyter

Question

Hu guys,

I'm new to python/anaconda/jupyter/numPy, panda, etc.... so please excuse me if it's a really stupid question. I'm trying to obtain MNIST database by using anaconda/jupyter. But everytime I get an HTTP error 500 at the end. Is it really a server problem (as 500 would suggest) or am I doing something wrong?

Input in jupyter:

from sklearn.datasets import fetch_mldata
mnist = fetch_mldata('MNIST original')

Result:

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HTTPError                                 Traceback (most recent call last)
    <ipython-input-1-15dc285fb373> in <module>()
          1 from sklearn.datasets import fetch_mldata
    ----> 2 mnist = fetch_mldata('MNIST original')

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\sklearn\datasets\mldata.py in fetch_mldata(dataname, target_name, data_name, transpose_data, data_home)
        140         urlname = MLDATA_BASE_URL % quote(dataname)
        141         try:
    --> 142             mldata_url = urlopen(urlname)
        143         except HTTPError as e:
        144             if e.code == 404:

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in urlopen(url, data, timeout, cafile, capath, cadefault, context)
        221     else:
        222         opener = _opener
    --> 223     return opener.open(url, data, timeout)
        224 
        225 def install_opener(opener):

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in open(self, fullurl, data, timeout)
        530         for processor in self.process_response.get(protocol, []):
        531             meth = getattr(processor, meth_name)
    --> 532             response = meth(req, response)
        533 
        534         return response

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in http_response(self, request, response)
        640         if not (200 <= code < 300):
        641             response = self.parent.error(
    --> 642                 'http', request, response, code, msg, hdrs)
        643 
        644         return response

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in error(self, proto, *args)
        562             http_err = 0
        563         args = (dict, proto, meth_name) + args
    --> 564         result = self._call_chain(*args)
        565         if result:
        566             return result

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in _call_chain(self, chain, kind, meth_name, *args)
        502         for handler in handlers:
        503             func = getattr(handler, meth_name)
    --> 504             result = func(*args)
        505             if result is not None:
        506                 return result

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in http_error_302(self, req, fp, code, msg, headers)
        754         fp.close()
        755 
    --> 756         return self.parent.open(new, timeout=req.timeout)
        757 
        758     http_error_301 = http_error_303 = http_error_307 = http_error_302

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in open(self, fullurl, data, timeout)
        530         for processor in self.process_response.get(protocol, []):
        531             meth = getattr(processor, meth_name)
    --> 532             response = meth(req, response)
        533 
        534         return response

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in http_response(self, request, response)
        640         if not (200 <= code < 300):
        641             response = self.parent.error(
    --> 642                 'http', request, response, code, msg, hdrs)
        643 
        644         return response

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in error(self, proto, *args)
        568         if http_err:
        569             args = (dict, 'default', 'http_error_default') + orig_args
    --> 570             return self._call_chain(*args)
        571 
        572 # XXX probably also want an abstract factory that knows when it makes

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in _call_chain(self, chain, kind, meth_name, *args)
        502         for handler in handlers:
        503             func = getattr(handler, meth_name)
    --> 504             result = func(*args)
        505             if result is not None:
        506                 return result

    e:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\lib\urllib\request.py in http_error_default(self, req, fp, code, msg, hdrs)
        648 class HTTPDefaultErrorHandler(BaseHandler):
        649     def http_error_default(self, req, fp, code, msg, hdrs):
    --> 650         raise HTTPError(req.full_url, code, msg, hdrs, fp)
        651 
        652 class HTTPRedirectHandler(BaseHandler):

    HTTPError: HTTP Error 500: INTERNAL SERVER ERROR

Answer 1

Late to the party, but i had the same error and my simple solution was to run the two commands separately, like:

from sklearn import datasets

and make sure you run this in a separate line in jupyter notebook

mnist_data = datasets.fetch_mldata('MNIST original', data_home = 'datasets/')