Failure to preserve Matplotlib backend when using symbolic math

[FredJames32]

Description

Mac OSX. Spyder IPython console initially did inline graphics. But after I checked "Preferences/IPython console/Advanced Settings/Use symbolic math", whenever I launched Spyder anew, plots were in separate window. So, I had to a "% matplotlib inline" if I wanted inline charts. This was the case even though "Preferences/IPython console/Graphics/Backend/Inline" was set. Then, I realized that if I unchecked "Preference/.../Use symbolic math", then Spyder and new IPython console plot inline by default.

• What steps will reproduce the problem?
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• What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
• Please provide any additional information below

Version and main components

• Spyder Version: 2.3.4
• Python Version: 3.4.3
• Qt Version : 4.8.6, PyQt4 (API v2) 4.11.3 on Darwin

Optional dependencies

pyflakes >=0.6.0: 0.8.1 (OK)
pep8 >=0.6 : 1.6.2 (OK)
IPython >=1.0 : 3.0.0 (OK)
zmq >=2.1.11 : 14.5.0 (OK)
pygments >=1.6 : 2.0.2 (OK)
pandas >=0.13.1 : 0.15.2 (OK)
sphinx >=0.6.6 : 1.2.3 (OK)
psutil >=0.3 : 2.2.1 (OK)
rope >=0.9.2 : 0.9.4-1 (OK)
jedi >=0.8.1 : 0.8.1 (OK)
matplotlib >=1.0: 1.4.3 (OK)
sympy >=0.7.3 : 0.7.6 (OK)
pylint >=0.25 : None (NOK)

[ccordoba12]

Thanks for reporting. I'll take a look at it to see what we can do about it.

[FredJames32]

I further noticed that if you are in inline plot mode and import sympy and call sympy.init_session() from IPython console, then you loose the inline mode and plots pop up in separate windows.