Re: What linux distro is recommended

[Dirk Eddelbuettel]

On Sat, Oct 25, 2003 at 10:22:02AM -0600, Quentin Spencer wrote:
> Obed Sands wrote:
[...]
> >Bought a new computer and want to  build linux and run octave.
> >
> >What is recommded for this? What works out-of-the-box?
[...]
> [...] I believe there are several 
> users on this list who would recommend Debian. The advantage of Debian 
> is you can use apt-get to install the latest version without compiling 
> anything yourself.

Also, you get a few add-ons ready-to-run via apt-get:

address@hidden:~> apt-cache search octave | sort
kmatplot - A Gnuplot-like tool for plotting data sets in 2D or 3D.
libinline-octave-perl - Perl5 module to Inline GNU Octave code
matwrap - A wrapper generator for matrix languages
octave2.0-doc - Postscript documentation on the GNU Octave language (2.0 branch)
octave2.0-emacsen - Emacs support for the GNU Octave language (2.0 branch)
octave2.0-headers - Header files for the GNU Octave language (2.0 branch)
octave2.0-htmldoc - HTML documentation on the GNU Octave language (2.0 branch)
octave2.0-info - GNU Info documentation on the GNU Octave language (2.0 branch)
octave2.0-staticlibs - Static libraries for the GNU Octave language (2.0 branch)
octave2.0 - The GNU Octave language for numerical computations (2.0 branch)
octave2.1-doc - Postscript documentation on the GNU Octave language (2.1 branch)
octave2.1-emacsen - Emacs support for the GNU Octave language (2.1 branch)
octave2.1-headers - Header files for the GNU Octave language (2.1 branch)
octave2.1-htmldoc - HTML documentation on the GNU Octave language (2.1 branch)
octave2.1-info - GNU Info documentation on the GNU Octave language (2.1 branch)
octave2.1 - The GNU Octave language for numerical computations (2.1 branch)
octave-ci - Contributed functions for the GNU Octave language
octave-epstk - GNU Octave encapsulated postscript toolkit
octave-forge - Contributed functions for GNU Octave from http://octave.sf.net
octave-gpc - Octave bindings for the General Polygon Clipper Library
octave-matcompat - Empty transition package for octave-forge
octave-plplot - Octave support for PLplot, a plotting library
octave-sp - Semidefinite Programming functions for GNU Octave
octave-statdataml - XML based data exchange format (Octave library)
octave - The GNU Octave language for numerical computations (2.1 branch)

[NB I remove three less-relevant finds from the apt-cache search output]

You can put Quantian cdrom in the computer, and have a large number of these
packages, plus many more, available right after booting off that cdrom.
Quantian also allows you to install directly to hard disk:

        http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com/quantian.html

which may counter the old 'but Debian is too hard to install' criticism
(which I tend to find unfair, but then I only ever install Debian :)

Dirk

-- 
Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.
                                                -- Groucho Marx



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