Pylab window won't close

Hi, I run python + pylab in Linux.

    > When I type:
    >>>> import pylab pylab.plot([1,2,3])
    > A window pops up but nothing is drawn in it (!?!). So I
    > type:
    >>>> pylab.draw()
    > The plot is then correctly drawn ( but I still do not see
    > the lower buttons of the toolbar !?!)

    > My problem is that I cannot close the plot window nor by
    > clicking the "upper-right-cross" button of that wndow, nor
    > by typing:
    >>>> pylab.close()
    > The window remains displayed...

You must uses a threaded python shell to use GTK* in interactive mode,
as described at http://matplotlib.sf.net/interactive.html

Recommended is

  > ipython -pylab

or

  > ipython -gthread

JDH