`jupyter notebook` fails to create the exchange directory

Just running jupyter notebook after quickstart attempts to create the exchange directory. In my case, this fails because I do not have permissions in the /srv directory.

[C 09:01:08.652 NotebookApp] Unwritable directory, please contact your instructor: /srv/nbgrader/exchange
[E 09:01:08.654 NotebookApp] Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "/home/kenny/miniconda3/envs/nbgrader/lib/python3.6/site-packages/nbgrader/server_extensions/assignment_list/handlers.py", line 63, in list_released_assignments
        assignments = lister.start()
      File "/home/kenny/miniconda3/envs/nbgrader/lib/python3.6/site-packages/nbgrader/exchange/list.py", line 129, in start
        super(ExchangeList, self).start()
      File "/home/kenny/miniconda3/envs/nbgrader/lib/python3.6/site-packages/nbgrader/exchange/exchange.py", line 122, in start
        self.ensure_root()
      File "/home/kenny/miniconda3/envs/nbgrader/lib/python3.6/site-packages/nbgrader/exchange/exchange.py", line 100, in ensure_root
        self.fail("Unwritable directory, please contact your instructor: {}".format(self.root))
      File "/home/kenny/miniconda3/envs/nbgrader/lib/python3.6/site-packages/nbgrader/exchange/exchange.py", line 78, in fail
        raise ExchangeError(msg)
    nbgrader.exchange.exchange.ExchangeError: Unwritable directory, please contact your instructor: /srv/nbgrader/exchange

[jhamrick]

There is documentation for setting up the exchange here: https://nbgrader.readthedocs.io/en/stable/user_guide/managing_assignment_files.html#setting-up-the-exchange

I think an example in the docs where you say where Jupyter is installed (for example /home/administrator/Jupyter)

I’m a bit hesitant to list specific directories like that just because it will be different on every system, and in my experience having specifics like that in the documentation can actually create more confusion 😕 However, I think it wouldn’t hurt to include a link on the installation page pointing to the documentation on setting up the exchange, so that it’s clearer that is a required step in the setup process.

On Sun, Jun 30, 2019 at 5:21 PM Yenthe V.G [e-mail] wrote:

Hmm I see. Could you perhaps slightly expand the documentation though? I think an example in the docs where you say where Jupyter is installed (for example /home/administrator/Jupyter) along with in which directory the extra directories should be created would be a neat clarification. To me it’s unclear in which path nbgrader actually expects the new folder to be created.

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[Yenthe666]

Hmm I see. Could you perhaps slightly expand the documentation though? I think an example in the docs where you say where Jupyter is installed (for example /home/administrator/Jupyter) along with in which directory the extra directories should be created would be a neat clarification. To me it’s unclear in which path nbgrader actually expects the new folder to be created.