Anaconda breaks python interpreter backspace and up-arrow

Question

After installing anaconda according to their insturictions on arch, conda seems to work. It managed to install matlotlib. But it breaks python interpreter in a strange way.

• When I type something and then press backspace, one space is inserted. If backspace is pressed again, nothing happens. If I type some more, backspace inserts 1 space again.
• Pressing the up arrow appends the commands from history to what is written in the prompt, not replaces it.

I tried copying contents of my terminfo as desribed here. I do not have rxvt-unicode-256color in this directory. I do have rxvt-256color and other files, but copying them into the anaconda directory did not help.

If I disable anaconda, the issue goes away.

Answer 1

I solved by installing iPython interactive shell and using that instead of the default python interpreter.