Launch IPython notebook with selected browser

Question

I am trying to start IPython with a non default browser (in my case Firefox) and thought I could replicate the replicate the script given in this blog

I am on Windows 7

I put the following code in a file say "module.py"

import subprocess
subprocess.call("ipython notebook --no-browser", shell=True)
subprocess.call([r'C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\Firefox.exe', '-new-tab', 'http://127.0.0.1:8888/'])

However when I run it from the command line

 python C:\Users\mugabal\Desktop\module1.py

It execute the first line but not the second one (both lines work fine individually)

My question (in a more general term) how can I launch a process and tell it not to highjack the console window?

I apologize in advance if I have overseen an obvious explanation but I looked both in the subprocess documentation and on this platform

----- UPDATE -----

I should have added that I tried to launch IPython with selected browser but could not figure out how to get it work

>ipython notebook --browser='C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\Firefox.exe'
... 
[NotebookApp] The IPython Notebook is running at: http://127.0.0.1:8888/
...
**[NotebookApp] No web browser found: could not locate runnable browser.**

To be precise, the following command in a Windows command prompt window works as expected:

start firefox 

but

ipython notebook --browser=firefox 

does not work (same error as above).

Answer 1

I had the same problem on windows and got it work this way:

• Create a config file with command ipython profile create default

• Edit ipython_notebook_config.py file, search for line

#c.NotebookApp.browser =''

and replace it with

import webbrowser
webbrowser.register('firefox', None, webbrowser.GenericBrowser('C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Mozilla Firefox\\firefox.exe'))
c.NotebookApp.browser = 'firefox'

then it works for me.

Hope it will help you.

JPG