Re: GNU plot

[John W. Eaton]

On 22-Apr-2008, asha g wrote:

| Dear Sergei and Tatsuro 
| 
| I have loaded gnuplot 4.2.3 as suggested. Now testing
| my files. will keep you posted. 
| I don't understand the difference between GNU and
| gnu.Kindly explain

GNU is the GNU Project (www.gnu.org).  The name GNU stands for GNU's
Not Unix, and GNU is pronounced g-noo.

gnuplot is a plotting package that is NOT part of the GNU project.
The name "gnuplot" is prounounced "new-plot".  From the gnuplot FAQ
available from www.gnuplot.info:

  The following quote comes from Thomas Williams:

    Any reference to GNUplot is incorrect.  The real name of the program
    is "gnuplot".  You see people use "Gnuplot" quite a bit because many
    of us have an aversion to starting a sentence with a lower case
    letter, even in the case of proper nouns and titles.  gnuplot is not
    related to the GNU project or the FSF in any but the most peripheral
    sense.  Our software was designed completely independently and the
    name "gnuplot" was actually a compromise.  I wanted to call it
    "llamaplot" and Colin wanted to call it "nplot."  We agreed that
    "newplot" was acceptable but, we then discovered that there was an
    absolutely ghastly pascal program of that name that the Computer
    Science Dept.  occasionally used.  I decided that "gnuplot" would
    make a nice pun and after a fashion Colin agreed.

Colin in the above refers to Colin Kelley, the other original gnuplot
author.

jwe