Allow FileContentsManager and MappingKernelManager to be used outside NotebookApp

IPython/html/services/contents/filemanager.py

@@ -26,7 +26,10 b' class FileContentsManager(ContentsManager):'
     root_dir = Unicode(config=True)
 
     def _root_dir_default(self):
-        return self.parent.notebook_dir
+        try:
+            return self.parent.notebook_dir
+        except AttributeError:
+            return getcwd()
 
     save_script = Bool(False, config=True, help='DEPRECATED, IGNORED')
     def _save_script_changed(self):

IPython/html/services/kernels/kernelmanager.py

@@ -29,7 +29,10 b' class MappingKernelManager(MultiKernelManager):'
     root_dir = Unicode(config=True)
 
     def _root_dir_default(self):
-        return self.parent.notebook_dir
+        try:
+            return self.parent.notebook_dir
+        except AttributeError:
+            return getcwd()
 
     def _root_dir_changed(self, name, old, new):
         """Do a bit of validation of the root dir."""