Python rpy2 and matplotlib conflict when using multiprocessing

Question

I am trying to calculate and generate plots using multiprocessing. On Linux the code below runs correctly, however on the Mac (ML) it doesn't, giving the error below:

import multiprocessing
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import rpy2.robjects as robjects

def main():
    pool = multiprocessing.Pool()
    num_figs = 2
    # generate some random numbers
    input = zip(np.random.randint(10,1000,num_figs), 
                range(num_figs))

    pool.map(plot, input)

def plot(args):
    num, i = args
    fig = plt.figure()
    data = np.random.randn(num).cumsum()
    plt.plot(data)

main()

The Rpy2 is rpy2==2.3.1 and R is 2.13.2 (I could not install R 3.0 and rpy2 latest version on any mac without getting segmentation fault).

The error is:

The process has forked and you cannot use this CoreFoundation functionality safely. You MUST exec().
Break on __THE_PROCESS_HAS_FORKED_AND_YOU_CANNOT_USE_THIS_COREFOUNDATION_FUNCTIONALITY___YOU_MUST_EXEC__() to debug.
The process has forked and you cannot use this CoreFoundation functionality safely. You MUST exec().

I have tried everything to understand what the problem is with no luck. My configuration is:

Danials-MacBook-Pro:~ danialt$ brew --config
HOMEBREW_VERSION: 0.9.4
ORIGIN: https://github.com/mxcl/homebrew
HEAD: 705b5e133d8334cae66710fac1c14ed8f8713d6b
HOMEBREW_PREFIX: /usr/local
HOMEBREW_CELLAR: /usr/local/Cellar
CPU: dual-core 64-bit penryn
OS X: 10.8.3-x86_64
Xcode: 4.6.2
CLT: 4.6.0.0.1.1365549073
GCC-4.2: build 5666
LLVM-GCC: build 2336
Clang: 4.2 build 425
X11: 2.7.4 => /opt/X11
System Ruby: 1.8.7-358
Perl: /usr/bin/perl
Python: /usr/local/bin/python => /usr/local/Cellar/python/2.7.4/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/2.7/bin/python2.7
Ruby: /usr/bin/ruby => /System/Library/Frameworks/Ruby.framework/Versions/1.8/usr/bin/ruby

Any ideas?

Answer 1

This error occurs on Mac OS X when you perform a GUI operation outside the main thread, which is exactly what you are doing by shifting your plot function to the multiprocessing.Pool (I imagine that it will not work on Windows either for the same reason - since Windows has the same requirement). The only way that I can imagine it working is using the pool to generate the data, then have your main thread wait in a loop for the data that's returned (a queue is the way I usually handle it...).

Here is an example (recognizing that this may not do what you want - plot all the figures "simultaneously"? - plt.show() blocks so only one is drawn at a time and I note that you do not have it in your sample code - but without I don't see anything on my screen - however, if I take it out - there is no blocking and no error because all GUI functions are happening in the main thread):

import multiprocessing
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
import rpy2.robjects as robjects

data_queue = multiprocessing.Queue()


def main():
    pool = multiprocessing.Pool()
    num_figs = 10

    # generate some random numbers
    input = zip(np.random.randint(10,10000,num_figs), range(num_figs))  
    pool.map(worker, input)

    figs_complete = 0
    while figs_complete < num_figs:
        data = data_queue.get()
        plt.figure()
        plt.plot(data)
        plt.show()
        figs_complete += 1

def worker(args):
    num, i = args
    data = np.random.randn(num).cumsum()
    data_queue.put(data)
    print('done ',i)

main()

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

I had a similar issue with my worker, which was loading some data, generating a plot, and saving it to a file. Note that this is slightly different than what the OP's case, which seems to be oriented around interactive plotting. Still, I think it's relevant.

A simplified version of my code:

def worker(id):
    data = load_data(id)
    plot_data_to_file(data) # Generates a plot and saves it to a file.

def plot_something_parallel(ids):
    pool = multiprocessing.Pool()
    pool.map(worker, ids)

plot_something_parallel(ids=[1,2,3])

This caused the same error others mention:

The process has forked and you cannot use this CoreFoundation functionality safely. You MUST exec().
Break on __THE_PROCESS_HAS_FORKED_AND_YOU_CANNOT_USE_THIS_COREFOUNDATION_FUNCTIONALITY___YOU_MUST_EXEC__() to debug.

Following @bbbruce's train of thought, I solved my problem by switching the matplotlib backend from TKAgg to the default. Specifically, I commented out the following line in my matplotlibrc file:

#backend : TkAgg

Answer 3

This might be rpy2-specific. There are reports of a similar problem with OS X and multiprocessing here and there.

I think that using an initializer that imports the packages needed to run the code in plot could solve the problem (multiprocessing-doc).

Answer 4

I had a similar issue and found that setting the start method in multiprocessing to use forkserver works as long as it comes after your if name == main: statement.

if __name__ == '__main__':
    multiprocessing.set_start_method('forkserver')
    first_process = multiprocessing.Process(target = targetOne)
    second_process = multiprocessing.Process(target = targetTwo)
    first_process.start()
    second_process.start()