Re: OS X MacPorts installation plotting issue

[Alex Iadicicco]

On Mon, Jan 9, 2012 at 9:34 AM, Ben Abbott <address@hidden> wrote:
>
> On Jan 9, 2012, at 3:12 AM, theta4 wrote:
>
>> Hello
>>
>> I installed Octave using MacPorts by simply running "sudo port install
>> octave". I can do all of the regular stuff like matrix math, etc. but
>> plotting won't work and I can't figure out why. Octave seems to be missing
>> some important functionality. "plot" doesn't produce any errors but doesn't
>> bring up a gnuplot window. Functions like "gset" "gshow" and "clearplot"
>> just produce an error message saying the function is undefined. I installed
>> "octave-plot" but that didn't fix anything.
>>
>> Keep in mind, I have no background in Octave nor MATLAB nor any similar
>> software, so it is possible I am forgetting something blatantly obvious,
>> like an "import" or "require" statement. However, with "set terminal x11" in
>> ~/.gnuplot shouldn't I be able to just run "x=[-2:.1:2]; plot(x, sin(x));"
>> and see a gnuplot window? On a side note, I can plot in gnuplot just fine
>> with "plot [-2:2] sin(x)" so I really think the problem is either Octave or
>> my usage of Octave.
>>
>> Version numbers:
>> Octave 3.2.4
>> gnuplot 4.4
>> MacPorts 2.0.3
>> XQuartz 2.3.6
>> Mac OS X 10.6.8
>>
>> Any help is appreciated
>>
>> --Alex
>
> There is a more recent version of Octave available from Macports.
>
>        
> https://trac.macports.org/browser/trunk/dports/math/octave-devel/Portfile
>
> To install this version (3.4.3) type ...
>
>        sudo port install octave-devel +fltk
>
> In any event, from the information you've provided, everything should be 
> working correctly.
>
> From the Terminal app, does the following return the results indicated below ?
>
>        which octave
>        /opt/local/bin/octave
>
>        which gnuplot
>        /opt/local/bin/gnuplot
>
> If either of these are not what you get, then you've installed the app in 
> question by some other means that macports. If that is the case, there is 
> need to answer the questions below. You'll need to uninstall the app(s) in 
> question before continuing.
>
> From Octave's prompt, does the following return the results indicated below ?
>
>        [status, output] = system ('which gnuplot')
>        status = 0
>        output = /opt/local/bin/gnuplot
>
>        gnuplot_binary
>        ans = gnuplot
>
>        getenv GNUTERM
>        ans = aqua
>
>        getenv GNUTERMAPP
>        ans =
>
> If you run gnuplot, does the session begin with ...
>
>        Terminal type set to 'aqua'
>
> Ben
>

Ah, thank you!

"getenv GNUTERM" was the only thing that didn't run the way you said
it would. I was attempting to set the terminal type in .gnuplot, butI
didn't realize there was more than one way to indicate the terminal
type, so running "export GNUTERM='x11'" before starting Octave fixed
it. Thank you!

--Alex