Using IPython from the Python shell like `code.interact()`

Question

Is it possible to use the IPython shell from an existing Python shell, as a shell-inside-a-shell, similarly to the built-in code.interact()?

Answer 1

In IPython 0.11 the API has been overhauled and the shell is even easier to invoke:

import IPython

IPython.embed()

Answer 2

The recommended way of embedding IPython works fine:

~ $ python
Python 2.7 [...]
>>> from IPython.Shell import IPShellEmbed
>>> ipshell = IPShellEmbed()
>>> ipshell()

In [1]: 

Answer 3

Django manage.py shell invoke a IPython shell when possible, and it's implemented like this:

import IPython

shell = IPython.Shell.IPShell()
shell.mainloop()