The cluster applications now have a working directory option..

The ipcontroller, ipengine and ipcluster application now have a working
directory that is os.chdir'd to in the pre_construct stage.
There is a corresponding --working-dir command line flag and 
Global.working_dir config attribute.

IPython/config/default/ipcluster_config.py

@@ -37,6 +37,10 b' c = get_config()'
 # Remove old logs from cluster_dir/log before starting.
 # c.Global.clean_logs = True
 
+# The working directory for the process. The application will use os.chdir
+# to change to this directory before starting.
+# c.Global.working_dir = os.getcwd()
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Controller launcher configuration
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

IPython/config/default/ipcontroller_config.py

@@ -35,6 +35,10 b' c = get_config()'
 # will override the values set for the client and engine connections below.
 # c.Global.secure = True
 
+# The working directory for the process. The application will use os.chdir
+# to change to this directory before starting.
+# c.Global.working_dir = os.getcwd()
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # Configure the client services
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

IPython/config/default/ipengine_config.py

@@ -34,6 +34,10 b' c = get_config()'
 # attribute can be set to the full path of the FURL file.
 # c.Global.furl_file = u''
 
+# The working directory for the process. The application will use os.chdir
+# to change to this directory before starting.
+# c.Global.working_dir = os.getcwd()
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 # MPI configuration
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

IPython/kernel/clusterdir.py

@@ -256,6 +256,12 b' class AppWithClusterDirArgParseConfigLoader(ArgParseConfigLoader):'
             '--profile option.',
             default=NoConfigDefault,
             metavar='Global.cluster_dir'
+        ),
+        self.parser.add_argument('--working-dir',
+            dest='Global.working_dir',type=unicode,
+            help='Set the working dir for the process.',
+            default=NoConfigDefault,
+            metavar='Global.working_dir'
         )
         self.parser.add_argument('--clean-logs',
             dest='Global.clean_logs', action='store_true',
@@ -293,6 +299,7 b' class ApplicationWithClusterDir(Application):'
         super(ApplicationWithClusterDir, self).create_default_config()
         self.default_config.Global.profile = u'default'
         self.default_config.Global.cluster_dir = u''
+        self.default_config.Global.working_dir = os.getcwd()
         self.default_config.Global.log_to_file = False
         self.default_config.Global.clean_logs = False
 
@@ -398,6 +405,16 b' class ApplicationWithClusterDir(Application):'
         pdir = self.cluster_dir_obj.pid_dir
         self.pid_dir = config.Global.pid_dir = pdir
         self.log.info("Cluster directory set to: %s" % self.cluster_dir)
+        config.Global.working_dir = unicode(genutils.expand_path(config.Global.working_dir))
+        # Change to the working directory. We do this just before construct
+        # is called so all the components there have the right working dir.
+        self.to_working_dir()
+
+    def to_working_dir(self):
+        wd = self.master_config.Global.working_dir
+        if unicode(wd) != unicode(os.getcwd()):
+            os.chdir(wd)
+            self.log.info("Changing to working dir: %s" % wd)
 
     def start_logging(self):
         # Remove old log files

IPython/kernel/ipclusterapp.py

@@ -85,7 +85,12 b' class IPClusterCLLoader(ArgParseConfigLoader):'
             help='Set the cluster dir. This overrides the logic used by the '
             '--profile option.',
             default=NoConfigDefault,
-            metavar='Global.cluster_dir')
+            metavar='Global.cluster_dir'),
+        parent_parser2.add_argument('--working-dir',
+            dest='Global.working_dir',type=unicode,
+            help='Set the working dir for the process.',
+            default=NoConfigDefault,
+            metavar='Global.working_dir')
         parent_parser2.add_argument('--log-to-file',
             action='store_true', dest='Global.log_to_file', 
             default=NoConfigDefault,
@@ -242,6 +247,7 b' class IPClusterApp(ApplicationWithClusterDir):'
                     print start_cmd + " ==> " + full_path
 
     def pre_construct(self):
+        # This is where we cd to the working directory.
         super(IPClusterApp, self).pre_construct()
         config = self.master_config
         try:
@@ -367,8 +373,6 b' class IPClusterApp(ApplicationWithClusterDir):'
 
         # Now write the new pid file AFTER our new forked pid is active.
         self.write_pid_file()
-        # cd to the cluster_dir as our working directory.
-        os.chdir(config.Global.cluster_dir)
         reactor.addSystemEventTrigger('during','shutdown', self.remove_pid_file)
         reactor.run()
 

IPython/kernel/ipcontrollerapp.py

@@ -213,8 +213,7 b' class IPControllerApp(ApplicationWithClusterDir):'
             del c.Global.secure
 
     def construct(self):
-        # I am a little hesitant to put these into InteractiveShell itself.
-        # But that might be the place for them
+        # This is the working dir by now.
         sys.path.insert(0, '')
 
         self.start_logging()
@@ -250,8 +249,6 b' class IPControllerApp(ApplicationWithClusterDir):'
         # controllers to clober each other. But Windows is not cleaning
         # these up properly.
         self.write_pid_file(overwrite=True)
-        # cd to the cluster_dir as our working directory.
-        os.chdir(self.master_config.Global.cluster_dir)
         # Add a trigger to delete the .pid file upon shutting down.
         reactor.addSystemEventTrigger('during','shutdown', self.remove_pid_file)
         reactor.run()

IPython/kernel/ipengineapp.py

@@ -154,8 +154,7 b' class IPEngineApp(ApplicationWithClusterDir):'
             config.Global.furl_file = try_this
 
     def construct(self):
-        # I am a little hesitant to put these into InteractiveShell itself.
-        # But that might be the place for them
+        # This is the working dir by now.
         sys.path.insert(0, '')
 
         self.start_mpi()
@@ -224,8 +223,6 b' class IPEngineApp(ApplicationWithClusterDir):'
                 log.msg("Error executing statement: %s" % line)
 
     def start_app(self):
-        # cd to the cluster_dir as our working directory.
-        os.chdir(self.master_config.Global.cluster_dir)
         reactor.run()
 
 

IPython/kernel/launcher.py

@@ -222,7 +222,11 b' class LocalProcessLauncherProtocol(ProcessProtocol):'
 
 
 class LocalProcessLauncher(BaseLauncher):
-    """Start and stop an external process in an asynchronous manner."""
+    """Start and stop an external process in an asynchronous manner.
+
+    This will launch the external process with a working directory of
+    ``self.working_dir``.
+    """
 
     # This is used to to construct self.args, which is passed to 
     # spawnProcess.
@@ -246,7 +250,8 b' class LocalProcessLauncher(BaseLauncher):'
                 self.process_protocol,
                 str(self.args[0]),  # twisted expects these to be str, not unicode
                 [str(a) for a in self.args],  # str expected, not unicode
-                env=os.environ
+                env=os.environ,
+                path=self.working_dir  # start in the working_dir
             )
             return self.start_deferred
         else: