AttributeError: module 'ipython' has no attribute 'core' after upgrade

TL;DR

After an upgrade, import ipython is picking up a stray ipython.py file in your working directory or on sys.path instead of the real package, or the upgrade left a half-written install. Run python -c "import ipython; print(ipython.__file__)". If it points at a local file, rename that file. If it points at site-packages, uninstall ipython twice and reinstall once.

AttributeError: module 'ipython' has no attribute 'core' after upgrade

Use this when

• Any import IPython or import ipython now fails with this AttributeError after an upgrade.
• The error appears in a directory where you have been writing scripts.
• The upgrade was interrupted or done with --force flags.

Not for this skill when

• The error names ipython.core.display specifically. That is the removed re-export, a different fix.
• The kernel dies instead of raising. That is a native crash.

Steps

1. Ask python what it imported: python -c "import ipython; print(ipython.__file__)". Verify: you see the actual path being loaded.
2. If the path is a local ipython.py or an ipython/ directory in your project, rename it to something non-colliding. Verify: the import now resolves to site-packages.
3. If the path is site-packages, the install is corrupt: pip uninstall -y ipython, run it again to catch the second copy, then pip install ipython. Verify: import IPython; IPython.__version__ works.
4. Check for a second install shadowing the first: pip list | grep -i ipython should show exactly one. Verify: no duplicates.
5. Restart the kernel and re-run. Verify: the AttributeError is gone in a fresh kernel.

Variant phrasings

module ipython has no attribute core

Short form. Shadowing file is the first check.

ipython import broken after pip upgrade

Upgrade-context phrasing. Partial install is the second suspect.

AttributeError ipython after update

General phrasing. Same two causes.

Compatibility: All IPython versions, pip installs. Shadowing can happen with any package, but the ipython.py filename is the classic.

Why it happens

Python puts the current working directory first on sys.path. A script or scratch file named ipython.py in the notebook's directory wins over the installed package, and the real package's submodules are then unreachable, producing this exact AttributeError.

Edge cases / pitfalls

• The shadowing file can also be IPython.py on case-insensitive filesystems. Search both casings.
• A leftover ipython.egg-link or .pth file can point at a deleted source checkout. Check site-packages for strays.
• Renaming the file is not enough if a __pycache__/ipython.*.pyc remains and the source is gone. Clear the pycache too.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_2VN79jNexleBD4WuRmxIRQ