allow the notebook to run without MathJax

* add `--no-mathjax` flag for disabling mathjax in the notebook server
* A jQuery dialog with our 'no mathjax' message will appear if mathjax is unavailable, but the notebook will be fully functional after dismissal.
* Various calls to MathJax.Hub.typeset moved to Cell.typeset, which checks for MathJax existence and is a no-op without it.

closes  #1071

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/handlers.py

@@ -219,6 +219,7 b' class NewHandler(AuthenticatedHandler):'
             base_project_url=u'/', base_kernel_url=u'/',
             kill_kernel=False,
             read_only=False,
+            enable_mathjax=self.application.ipython_app.enable_mathjax,
         )
 
 
@@ -237,6 +238,7 b' class NamedNotebookHandler(AuthenticatedHandler):'
             base_project_url=u'/', base_kernel_url=u'/',
             kill_kernel=False,
             read_only=self.read_only,
+            enable_mathjax=self.application.ipython_app.enable_mathjax,
         )
 
 

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/notebookapp.py

@@ -128,6 +128,17 b" flags['no-browser']=("
     {'NotebookApp' : {'open_browser' : False}},
     "Don't open the notebook in a browser after startup."
 )
+flags['no-mathjax']=(
+    {'NotebookApp' : {'enable_mathjax' : False}},
+    """Disable MathJax
+    
+    MathJax is the javascript library IPython uses to render math/LaTeX. It is
+    very large, so you may want to disable it if you have a slow internet
+    connection, or for offline use of the notebook.
+    
+    When disabled, equations etc. will appear as their untransformed TeX source.
+    """
+)
 flags['read-only'] = (
     {'NotebookApp' : {'read_only' : True}},
     """Allow read-only access to notebooks.
@@ -144,7 +155,7 b" flags['read-only'] = ("
 # the flags that are specific to the frontend
 # these must be scrubbed before being passed to the kernel,
 # or it will raise an error on unrecognized flags
-notebook_flags = ['no-browser', 'read-only']
+notebook_flags = ['no-browser', 'no-mathjax', 'read-only']
 
 aliases = dict(ipkernel_aliases)
 
@@ -231,6 +242,17 b' class NotebookApp(BaseIPythonApplication):'
         help="Whether to prevent editing/execution of notebooks."
     )
 
+    enable_mathjax = Bool(True, config=True,
+        help="""Whether to enable MathJax for typesetting math/TeX
+
+        MathJax is the javascript library IPython uses to render math/LaTeX. It is
+        very large, so you may want to disable it if you have a slow internet
+        connection, or for offline use of the notebook.
+
+        When disabled, equations etc. will appear as their untransformed TeX source.
+        """
+    )
+
     def parse_command_line(self, argv=None):
         super(NotebookApp, self).parse_command_line(argv)
         if argv is None:

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/css/notebook.css

@@ -415,6 +415,18 b' div.text_cell_render {'
     font-family: monospace;
 }
 
+pre.dialog {
+    background-color: #f7f7f7;
+    border: 1px solid #ddd;
+    border-radius: 3px;
+    padding: 0.4em;
+    padding-left: 2em;
+}
+
+p.dialog{
+    padding : 0.2em;
+}
+
 @media print {
     body { overflow: visible !important; }
     .ui-widget-content { border: 0px; }

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/cell.js

@@ -88,6 +88,13 b' var IPython = (function (IPython) {'
     // Subclasses must implement create_element.
     Cell.prototype.create_element = function () {};
 
+    // typeset with MathJax if MathJax is available
+    Cell.prototype.typeset = function () {
+        if (window.MathJax){
+            MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset",MathJax.Hub]);
+        }
+    };
+
     IPython.Cell = Cell;
 
     return IPython;

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/codecell.js

@@ -520,7 +520,7 b' var IPython = (function (IPython) {'
         this.element.find('div.output').append(toinsert);
         // If we just output latex, typeset it.
         if ((json.latex !== undefined) || (json.html !== undefined)) {
-            MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset",MathJax.Hub]);
+            this.typeset();
         };
     };
 
@@ -572,7 +572,7 b' var IPython = (function (IPython) {'
         this.element.find('div.output').append(toinsert);
         // If we just output latex, typeset it.
         if ( (json.latex !== undefined) || (json.html !== undefined) ) {
-            MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset",MathJax.Hub]);
+            this.typeset();
         };
     };
 

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/notebookmain.js

@@ -12,6 +12,47 b''
 
 $(document).ready(function () {
 
+    if (window.MathJax == undefined){
+        // MathJax undefined, but expected.  Draw warning.
+        window.MathJax = null;
+        var dialog = $('<div></div>').html(
+            "<p class='dialog'>"+
+            "We were unable to retrieve MathJax. Math/LaTeX rendering will be disabled."+
+            "</p>"+
+            "<p class='dialog'>"+
+            "With a working internet connection, you can run the following at a Python"+
+            " or IPython prompt, which will install a local copy of MathJax:"+
+            "</p>"+
+            "<pre class='dialog'>"+
+            ">>> from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()"+
+            "</pre>"+
+            "<p class='dialog'>"+
+            "This will try to install MathJax into the directory where you installed"+
+            " IPython. If you installed IPython to a location that requires"+
+            " administrative privileges to write, you will need to make this call as"+
+            " an administrator."+
+            "</p>"+
+            "<p class='dialog'>"+
+            "On OSX/Linux/Unix, this can be done at the command-line via:"+
+            "</p>"+
+            "<pre class='dialog'>"+
+            "$ sudo python -c 'from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()'"+
+            "</pre>"+
+            "<p class='dialog'>"+
+            "Or you can instruct the notebook server to start without MathJax support, with:"+
+            "<pre class='dialog'>"+
+            "</p>"+
+            "$ ipython notebook --no-mathjax"+
+            "</pre>"+
+            "<p class='dialog'>"+
+            "in which case, equations will not be rendered."+
+            "</p>"
+            ).dialog({
+                title: 'MathJax disabled',
+                width: "70%",
+                modal: true,
+            })
+    }else if (window.MathJax){
     MathJax.Hub.Config({
         tex2jax: {
             inlineMath: [ ['$','$'], ["\\(","\\)"] ],
@@ -22,6 +63,11 b' $(document).ready(function () {'
             styles: {'.MathJax_Display': {"margin": 0}}
         }
     });
+    }else{
+        // window.MathJax == null
+        // --no-mathjax mode
+    }
+    
     IPython.markdown_converter = new Markdown.Converter();
     IPython.read_only = $('meta[name=read_only]').attr("content") == 'True';
 

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/static/js/textcell.js

@@ -175,7 +175,7 b' var IPython = (function (IPython) {'
             var text = this.get_source();
             if (text === "") { text = this.placeholder; }
             this.set_rendered(text);
-            MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset",MathJax.Hub]);
+            this.typeset();
             this.element.find('div.text_cell_input').hide();
             this.element.find("div.text_cell_render").show();
             this.rendered = true;
@@ -201,7 +201,7 b' var IPython = (function (IPython) {'
             if (text === "") { text = this.placeholder; }
             var html = IPython.markdown_converter.makeHtml(text);
             this.set_rendered(html);
-            MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset",MathJax.Hub]);
+            this.typeset()
             this.element.find('div.text_cell_input').hide();
             this.element.find("div.text_cell_render").show();
             var code_snippets = this.element.find("pre > code");
@@ -255,7 +255,7 b' var IPython = (function (IPython) {'
 
     RSTCell.prototype.handle_render = function (data, status, xhr) {
         this.set_rendered(data);
-        MathJax.Hub.Queue(["Typeset",MathJax.Hub]);
+        this.typeset();
         this.rendered = true;
     };
 

IPython/frontend/html/notebook/templates/notebook.html

@@ -6,25 +6,24 b''
 
     <title>IPython Notebook</title>
 
+    {% if enable_mathjax %}
     <!-- <script type="text/javascript" src="http://cdn.mathjax.org/mathjax/latest/MathJax.js?config=TeX-AMS_HTML" charset="utf-8"></script> -->
     <script type='text/javascript' src='static/mathjax/MathJax.js?config=TeX-AMS_HTML' charset='utf-8'></script>
     <script type="text/javascript">
-    function CheckMathJax(){
-        var div=document.getElementById("MathJaxFetchingWarning")
-        if(window.MathJax){
-            document.body.removeChild(div)
-        }
-        else{
-           div.style.display = "block";
-        }
-    }
-    if (typeof MathJax == 'undefined') {
+    if (typeof(MathJax) == 'undefined') {
         console.log("No local MathJax, loading from CDN");
         document.write(unescape("%3Cscript type='text/javascript' src='http://cdn.mathjax.org/mathjax/latest/MathJax.js%3Fconfig=TeX-AMS_HTML' charset='utf-8'%3E%3C/script%3E"));
     }else{
         console.log("Using local MathJax");
     }
     </script>
+    {% else %}
+    <script type="text/javascript">
+    // MathJax disabled, set as null to distingish from *missing* MathJax,
+    // where it will be undefined, and should prompt a dialog later.
+    window.MathJax = null;
+    </script>
+    {% end %}
 
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="static/jquery/css/themes/aristo/jquery-wijmo.css" type="text/css" />
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="static/codemirror/lib/codemirror.css">
@@ -45,7 +44,7 b''
 
 </head>
 
-<body onload='CheckMathJax();'
+<body
     data-project={{project}} data-notebook-id={{notebook_id}}
     data-base-project-url={{base_project_url}} data-base-kernel-url={{base_kernel_url}}
 >
@@ -71,29 +70,6 b''
     <span id="kernel_status">Idle</span>
 </div>
 
-<div id="MathJaxFetchingWarning"
-      style="width:80%; margin:auto;padding-top:20%;text-align: justify; display:none">
-      <p style="font-size:26px;">There was an issue trying to fetch MathJax.js
-        from the internet.</p>
-
-      <p style="padding:0.2em"> With a working internet connection, you can run
-    the following at a Python or IPython prompt, which will install a local
-    copy of MathJax:</p>
-      
-        <pre style="background-color:lightblue;border:thin silver solid;padding:0.4em">
-            from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()
-        </pre>
-        This will try to install MathJax into the directory where you installed
-        IPython. If you installed IPython to a location that requires
-        administrative privileges to write, you will need to make this call as
-        an administrator. On OSX/Linux/Unix, this can be done at the
-        command-line via:
-        <pre style="background-color:lightblue;border:thin silver solid;padding:0.4em">
-            sudo python -c "from IPython.external import mathjax; mathjax.install_mathjax()"
-        </pre>
-    </p>
-</div>
-
 <div id="main_app">
 
     <div id="left_panel">