Re: FAQ available + 2 questions

[Ted Harding]

( Re Message From: Rene van der Heiden )
> I am a new user of octave (version 1.1.1.) and I would like to know if
> there is also a FAQ available of OCTAVE. If yes, could someone send it
> to me?

I don't think there is a FAQ. There is a good PostScript manual in
./octave-1.1.1/doc/octave.ps with the distribution. There is also
a useful refcard.ps

> 
> 1. How can I adapt the search path within octave? What is and how can I
> find the default path of Octave?

The octave startup settings are in
/usr/local/bin/octave/1.1.1/m/startup/octaverc
with modifications from ~/.octaverc and from ./.octaverc; 
NOTE that octaverc is NOT where the manual says it is (startup is
under m/, not under 1.1.1/). The search path is there set
as a string value for the variable LOADPATH.

> 2. The image processing functions seem not to work ok. E.g. if I do
> 
>    x=rand(50,50);
>    image(x)
> 
> octave returns:
> 
>    warning: save: no such variable `image.6109.img'
>    octtopnm: unable to open input file
> 
> Also, xv comes up with the window: 
>  
>    File 'image.7496.ppm' contains no data. (Zero length file).
> 
> Finally, a file 
> 
>    -asciii 
>          
> appeared in the working directory.
> (I use version 1.1.1.)
> 
> Can someone help me with this?

Yes, up to a point. There is a bug (typo) in the file
/usr/local/lib/octave/1.1.1/m/image/saveimage.m:

# The following line is buggy
# eval (['save -asciii ', oct_file, ' map X']);
  eval (['save -ascii ', oct_file, ' map X']);

However, even after correcting that the image stuff didn't work - I
couldn't be bothered to track it any further. By the way, you will
have to do something like "rm ./-asciii" or "rm -- -asciii" to get
rid of the file.

Ted.                                     (address@hidden)