The Python interpreter launched from SIC provides the command line history if and only if the Python module readline is imported. This is done automatically when the interpreter is launched. If this module can not be imported, an ImportError will be raised and you will not have the command history at the Python prompt.
The readline module is a Python builtin module. In most case it has been compiled and installed during your Python installation. Nevertheless, in case of a new compilation and installation of Python, it may not be available. You can check this by trying to import it in a standard Python session:
>>> import readline |
If an ImportError raises, here is what you (or your system administrator) have to do. The basic idea is that the readline Python module is compiled from a readline.c in Python source. Your system must provide the libraries libreadline.a and libtermcap.a to compile it successfully.
./configure --with-libs='-ltermcap' |