Samuel's Tech Blog

I often need to develop python scripts on some remote server where I can't run graphical python IDEs like spyder.

I'm too lazy to set up an advanced vim config with full blown IDE-like features (except for some basic python support).

I have found that a much simpler solution is a GNU screen session with two vertically split screens, one for the main coding in vim, and a smalelr one below, for running ipython, to run and debug the script as it is written.

I found it useful enough to figure out how to start such a setup with one command. This is how to do it:

create a file ~/.screenrc.pydev and place the following in it:

split
screen
focus
screen
resize 20
exec ipython
focus
exec vim

then add this to the bottom of your ~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_aliases:

alias pydev='screen -mS PyDev -c ~/.screenrc.pydev'

... and source the file:

source ~/.bashrc

Now, you can start your command line python environment by:

cd some-folder-with-python-files
pydev

The result:

Oh, and to jump between the screen windows, do:

[Ctrl] + [A], [Tab]