# Python3 repl missing readline?

**URL:** <https://forum.openwrt.org/t/python3-repl-missing-readline/90039>\
**Category:** Installing and Using OpenWrt\
**Created:** [March 1, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/python3-repl-missing-readline/90039 "2021-03-01T14:02:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jaimet](https://forum.openwrt.org/user_avatar/forum.openwrt.org/jaimet/32/35820_2.png) [@jaimet](https://forum.openwrt.org/u/jaimet)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2021, 2:02pm UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/python3-repl-missing-readline/90039/1 "2021-03-01T14:02:13Z")

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Hi all. I've just installed python3-light onto a fresh (lantiq) router which has an up-to-date snapshot on it. When I run the python3 repl on my other debian linux boxes, the cursor keys let me navigate through the command history, but when I use the cursor keys on this python3 installation, I get what appear to be control characters echoed to the screen instead of history navigation, thus:

```
# python
Python 3.9.2 (default, Feb 27 2021, 18:14:27) 
[GCC 8.4.0] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> help
Type help() for interactive help, or help(object) for help about object.
>>> ^[[A # This is what appears after pressing "cursor up"

```

I believe that this is due to a problem between python and the readline library (although I am not sure of this). Does anyone know whether this is easily fixable?

TIA, Jaime

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jaimet](https://forum.openwrt.org/user_avatar/forum.openwrt.org/jaimet/32/35820_2.png) [@jaimet](https://forum.openwrt.org/u/jaimet)\
**Post date:** [April 10, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/python3-repl-missing-readline/90039/2 "2021-04-10T00:09:21Z")

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For future reference:

> <https://github.com/openwrt/packages/pull/15364>

> <https://github.com/openwrt/packages/pull/15369>

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**Author:** ![system](https://forum.openwrt.org/uploads/default/original/3X/7/4/740520c71f00039bbf001045c682f0ecb25e905a.png) [@system](https://forum.openwrt.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2023, 8:48pm UTC](https://forum.openwrt.org/t/python3-repl-missing-readline/90039/3 "2023-09-27T20:48:24Z")

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