Spyder: IPython console stuck in "connecting to kernel"

[sujithkumar83]

Issue Report Checklist

• [x] Searched the issues page for similar reports
• [x] Read the relevant sections of the Spyder Troubleshooting Guide and followed its advice
• [x] Reproduced the issue after updating with conda update spyder (or pip, if not using Anaconda)
• [x] Could not reproduce inside jupyter qtconsole (if console-related)
• [x] Tried basic troubleshooting (if a bug/error)
  
  
  
  • [x] Restarted Spyder
  
  
  • [x] Reset preferences with spyder --reset
  
  
  • [x] Reinstalled the latest version of Anaconda
  
  
  • [x] Tried the other applicable steps from the Troubleshooting Guide
  
  
• [x] Completed the Problem Description, Steps to Reproduce and Version sections below

Problem Description

When I start Spyder from Anaconda3 or directly from Windows Menu I find the console stuck with "Connecting to kernal..." message. I can connect using "Connect to an existing kernel"--> Browse--> {selecting the kernel} and it opens in another ipython console

What steps reproduce the problem?

1. Open Spyder (3.3.6) on Win10 menu/ Open Spyder (3.3.6) thru Anaconda navigator (Anaconda3)
2. 
   
   
   3.
   

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?

Console 1/A stuck with "Connecting to kernel..." status

Paste Traceback/Error Below (if applicable)

Spyder Internal Console

This console is used to report application
internal errors and to inspect Spyder
internals with the following commands:
  spy.app, spy.window, dir(spy)

Please don't use it to run your code

>>> WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.000179767608643

Versions

• Spyder version: 3.3.6
• Python version: 3.7
• Qt version: 5.9.7
• PyQt version: 5.9.2
• Operating System name/version: Win10 Pro, x64

Dependencies

IPython >=4.0     :  7.6.1 (OK)
cython >=0.21     :  None (NOK)
jedi >=0.9.0      :  0.13.3 (OK)
matplotlib >=2.0.0:  None (NOK)
nbconvert >=4.0   :  5.5.0 (OK)
numpy >=1.7       :  None (NOK)
pandas >=0.13.1   :  None (NOK)
pycodestyle >=2.3 :  2.5.0 (OK)
pyflakes >=0.6.0  :  2.1.1 (OK)
pygments >=2.0    :  2.4.2 (OK)
pylint >=0.25     :  2.3.1 (OK)
qtconsole >=4.2.0 :  4.5.1 (OK)
rope >=0.9.4      :  0.14.0 (OK)
sphinx >=0.6.6    :  2.1.2 (OK)
sympy >=0.7.3     :  None (NOK)

[ccordoba12]

Please start Spyder from the Anaconda Prompt and report any errors you see there.

[sujithkumar83]

Thanks for checking. Actually I did another Anaconda install from scratch and the issue went away. Closing the issue.

[mickeykatz]

Hello, I (and two other colleagues) am seeing the same exact issues on my machine as detailed above (Console 1/A spins indefinitely with "Connecting to kernel..." status). I tried all the steps recommended above including opening Spyder from my Anaconda Prompt and re-installing Anaconda from scratch and then running conda update --all. When running spyder directly from an Anaconda Prompt, I receive the below traceback (it just continues spinning and the kernel dies ~ every 18 seconds).

Please let me know if I can provide any additional information.

Paste Traceback/Error Below (if applicable)

Spyder Internal Console

This console is used to report application
internal errors and to inspect Spyder
internals with the following commands:
 spy.app, spy.window, dir(spy)

Please don't use it to run your code

>>> WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.02844214439392
WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.028401613235474
WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.02839970588684
WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.028398990631104
WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.028462886810303
WARNING:traitlets:kernel died: 18.028400182724

Versions

• Spyder version: 3.3.6
• Python version: 3.7.3 64-bit
• Qt version: 5.9.6
• PyQt version: 5.9.2
• Operating System name/version: Windows 10 Pro, x64

Dependencies

IPython >=4.0     :  7.6.1 (OK)
cython >=0.21     :  0.29.12 (OK)
jedi >=0.9.0      :  0.13.3 (OK)
matplotlib >=2.0.0:  3.1.0 (OK)
nbconvert >=4.0   :  5.5.0 (OK)
numpy >=1.7       :  1.16.4 (OK)
pandas >=0.13.1   :  0.24.2 (OK)
pycodestyle >=2.3 :  2.5.0 (OK)
pyflakes >=0.6.0  :  2.1.1 (OK)
pygments >=2.0    :  2.4.2 (OK)
pylint >=0.25     :  2.3.1 (OK)
qtconsole >=4.2.0 :  4.5.1 (OK)
rope >=0.9.4      :  0.14.0 (OK)
sphinx >=0.6.6    :  2.1.2 (OK)
sympy >=0.7.3     :  1.4 (OK)

[ccordoba12]

@mickeykatz, please deactivate your firewall/antivirus and try again.

[myungus]

I have the same problem described above. I'm working under strict company IT policies which makes it hard to disable firewall/antivirus to test if that fixes the problem. @ccordoba12 would you care explaining why is the kernel connection affected by firewall/antivirus limitations?

[ccordoba12]

@myungus, because the kernel is really another Python process to which the Spyder graphical interface communicates using sockets.

So if your firewall/antivirus prevents opening local sockets in your PC, then there's nothing we can about it.

[Kartikei-12]

@ccordoba12 I am facing the same issue, and have tried all of the above proposed solution including firewall and antivirus suggestion still cannot get it to work.

I have tried all possible combination of the following:

1. Directly installing spyder through pip install
2. Getting spyder through Anaconda
3. Disabling antivirus/firewall.

[Kartikei-12]

@ccordoba12 Finally got issue to solve, I think problem is with Jupyter integrating with spyder for the kernal, I uninstalled jupyter, jupyter-core, jupyter-client and jupyter-console and manually removed any residual files including cached packages.

And reinstalled spyder from scratch and it worked.

[Tim-K-DFW]

Same issue - indefinitely stuck on Connecting to kernel, tried 3 or 4 times on a clean environment. Tried both conda install spyder and conda install spyder -c conda-forge. Running this on Windows 10 Pro x64; Python 3.7.6; Spyder v4.0.1, spyder-kernels 1.8.1.

v.3.3.6 works with no issues... but v.4 is much better.

No firewall in effect; in another environment THAT Spyder v4 - installed in mid-January - (same exact version) works fine, alongside Jupyter.

And, guys, thank you very much for this great product, nothing else that I tried in Python stack (after working exclusively with RStudio) comes close to Spyder. I donated a little something right after I started using it full-time. 👍

[ccordoba12]

@Tim-K-DFW, thanks for your kind words! Please wait until we release our next version (4.1.0) in a couple of weeks, which comes with some fixes that could help in this case.

And please also open another issue to track your problem because this one is closed.

[tanmoy7863]

please uninstall your antivirus...I have faced the similar issue and by uninstalling the antivirus now spyder is working.