[Matplotlib-users] Crash on import with CGI wrapped by PHP--unhappy with .matplotlib directory?

I have a PHP script which authenticates a user and I am trying to get the
PHP script to wrap a Python script using matplotlib.

As it is, the script mostly works when invoked from the command line or as
its own CGI script. When I call it from a PHP script, it doesn't produce
output, and testing found that when I call a Python script from a PHP
script, output works before but not after "import matplotlib": if the PHP
script calls a script of:

#!/usr/bin/python
print "Before import matplotlib."
import matplotlib;
print "After import matplotlib."

 the first print statement succeeds but the second one fails; the server log
shows a crash of:

Before import matplotlib.Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/home/jhayward/bintmp/test.py", line 5, in <module>
    import matplotlib;
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/__init__.py", line
639, in <module>
    rcParams = rc_params()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/__init__.py", line
562, in rc_params
    fname = matplotlib_fname()
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/__init__.py", line
513, in matplotlib_fname
    fname = os.path.join(get_configdir(), 'matplotlibrc')
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/__init__.py", line
207, in wrapper
    ret = func(*args, **kwargs)
  File "/usr/lib64/python2.5/site-packages/matplotlib/__init__.py", line
403, in _get_configdir
    raise RuntimeError("Failed to create %s/.matplotlib; consider setting
MPLCONFIGDIR to a writable directory for matplotlib configuration data"%h)
RuntimeError: Failed to create /root/.matplotlib; consider setting
MPLCONFIGDIR to a writable directory for matplotlib configuration data

I think this error is somewhat misleading; it persisted after I ran a "chmod
-R 1777 /root/.matplotlib".

What is the proper way to adjust things so matplotlib will be happy with its
.matplotlib directory?

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