Signal Visualization Setup Guide

Installing Required Dependencies

For macOS (with Homebrew)

The issue you're experiencing is that tkinter (the GUI library) isn't properly installed with your Python. Here are several solutions:

Option 1: Install Python with tkinter support

# If using Homebrew, reinstall Python with tkinter
brew uninstall python@3.13
brew install python-tk@3.13

# Or install tkinter specifically
brew install tcl-tk

Option 2: Use conda instead of pip

# Install conda/miniconda first, then:
conda create -n streamlens python=3.11
conda activate streamlens
conda install matplotlib numpy scapy tk

Option 3: Use PyQt backend (alternative to tkinter)

pip install PyQt5
# or
pip install PyQt6

Option 4: Use X11 forwarding (if running over SSH)

# Install XQuartz first: https://www.xquartz.org/
ssh -X your_server
# Then run StreamLens

For Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt-get install python3-tk
pip install matplotlib numpy scapy

For CentOS/RHEL

sudo yum install tkinter
# or
sudo dnf install python3-tkinter
pip install matplotlib numpy scapy

Testing Your Installation

Run this test to verify everything works:

python -c "
import matplotlib
matplotlib.use('TkAgg')  # or 'Qt5Agg' if using PyQt
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# Create a test plot
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x)
plt.plot(x, y)
plt.title('Test Plot')
plt.show()
print('Visualization test successful!')
"

Fallback Mode

If you can't get interactive visualization working, StreamLens will automatically:

Use the 'Agg' backend (non-interactive)
Save plots as PNG files instead of showing windows
Print the filename where each plot is saved

This means you can still visualize Chapter 10 signals - they'll just be saved as image files that you can open separately.

Troubleshooting

Issue: "No module named '_tkinter'"

Solution: Install tkinter using your system package manager (not pip)
macOS: brew install python-tk@3.13
Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install python3-tk

Issue: "Matplotlib backend failed"

Solution: Try different backends in this order:
1. Qt5Agg: pip install PyQt5
2. Qt6Agg: pip install PyQt6
3. TkAgg: Install tkinter (see above)
4. Agg: Files will be saved instead of displayed

Issue: Running over SSH

Solution: Use X11 forwarding: ssh -X hostname
Alternative: Use the file output mode (automatic fallback)

Recommended Setup

For the best experience, we recommend:

# Install system dependencies first
brew install python-tk@3.13  # macOS
# or
sudo apt-get install python3-tk  # Ubuntu

# Then install Python packages
pip install matplotlib numpy scapy PyQt5

This gives you multiple backend options and the best compatibility.

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