qtconsole with pure python kernel now properly catches the SystemExit exception, allowing python exit() function to work correctly

IPython/frontend/qt/console/frontend_widget.py

@@ -546,6 +546,14 b' class FrontendWidget(HistoryConsoleWidget, BaseFrontendMixin):'
         """ Process a reply for an execution request that resulted in an error.
         """
         content = msg['content']
+        # If a SystemExit is passed along, this means exit() was called - also
+        # all the ipython %exit magic syntax of '-k' to be used to keep
+        # the kernel running
+        if content['ename']=='SystemExit':
+            keepkernel = content['evalue']=='-k' or content['evalue']=='True'
+            self._keep_kernel_on_exit = keepkernel
+            self.exit_requested.emit()
+        else:
         traceback = ''.join(content['traceback'])
         self._append_plain_text(traceback)