Re: Can't save a plot

[Jorgen Sandberg]

Dear Ben,

ghostscript_binary = file_in_path (getenv ("path"), "gswin64c.exe") provides 
the path to the file gswin64c.exe.

The statements

setenv GSC gswin64c.exe
plot (rand (3))
print test.pdf

give no error message, but there is no file test.pdf generated. I have also 
tried to use

print C:\Temp\test.pdf

but there is no file generated in Temp.

What a pitty that Windows is not tried out when free source software is 
developed and made available. Complete packages are much to be preferred 
even if it results in programs like Ghostscript to be installed in more than 
one place.

Looking back in your mails I get the impression that if I installed 
gswin32c.exe ghostscript does not need the -G option, since gswin32c.exe is 
the default for ghostscript binary. Is that true?

Regards,
Jorgen


-----Original Message----- 
From: Ben Abbott
Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 10:06 PM
To: Jorgen Sandberg
Cc: address@hidden
Subject: Re: Can't save a plot


On Nov 11, 2012, at 3:23 PM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:

> -----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 8:30 PM
> To: Jorgen Sandberg
> Cc: address@hidden Help
> Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
>
> > On Nov 11, 2012, at 1:27 PM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> >
> > > -----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> > > Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 6:43 PM
> > > To: Jorgen Sandberg
> > > Cc: address@hidden
> > > Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
> > >
> > >
> > > > On Nov 11, 2012, at 12:06 PM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > ----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> > > > > Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 5:28 PM
> > > > > To: Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > Cc: address@hidden
> > > > > Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Nov 11, 2012, at 10:39 AM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> > > > > > > -----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> > > > > > > Sent: Sunday, November 11, 2012 3:59 PM
> > > > > > > To: Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > > > Cc: address@hidden
> > > > > > > Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > On Nov 11, 2012, at 9:51 AM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> > > > > > > > > Sent: Saturday, November 10, 2012 4:14 PM
> > > > > > > > > To: Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > > > > > Cc: address@hidden
> > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > On Nov 10, 2012, at 4:23 AM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> > > > > > > > > > > Sent: Friday, November 09, 2012 9:35 PM
> > > > > > > > > > > To: Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > > > > > > > Cc: address@hidden
> > > > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > On Nov 9, 2012, at 3:01 PM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- From: Ben Abbott
> > > > > > > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2012 11:37 PM
> > > > > > > > > > > > To: Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > > > > > > > > Cc: address@hidden
> > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: Can't save a plot
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > On Nov 8, 2012, at 1:43 PM, Jorgen Sandberg wrote:
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > > Dear Sirs,
> > > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > > I have installed OCTAVE 3.6.2 VS2010 on a Windows 7 machine. 
> > > > > > > > > > > > > When i will save a plot using the print or saveas command, I 
> > > > > > > > > > > > > get an error message saying that ghostscript is missing.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > Instructions for installing ghostscript at on the wiki at the 
> > > > > > > > > > > > link below.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > http://wiki.octave.org/Octave_for_Windows#Printing_.28installing_Ghostscript.29
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > > In addition the package symbolic does not install.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > How did you try to install the symbolic package?
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > Have you looked at using maxima for symbolic calculations?
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > http://maxima.sourceforge.net
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > Ben
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > Dear Ben Abbott,
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks a lot for your help. Unfortunately, I still have the 
> > > > > > > > > > > > problem.
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > I have downloaded Ghostscript 9.05 and installed it. I have 
> > > > > > > > > > > > added the path in the /.octaverc file as per the instruction 
> > > > > > > > > > > > for Octave with Visual studio, but OCTAVE still can't find 
> > > > > > > > > > > > ghostscript. I have looked into the ghostscript installation 
> > > > > > > > > > > > and in the bin file is gswin32.exe. Thus I guess Octave should 
> > > > > > > > > > > > be looking for gswin32.exe. Is that so?
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > I have Ghostscript 8.15 installed. Its binary is gswin32c.exe.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Assuming you have the gs_path environment variable set and have 
> > > > > > > > > > > set the path in the Control Panel, you can tell the print 
> > > > > > > > > > > command use use gswin32.exe instead by ...
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > print -dpdf test.pdf -Ggswin32.exe
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > If that fixes the problem for you, I can patch the sources to 
> > > > > > > > > > > include "gswin32.exe" when Octave searches for Ghostscript.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > I have also found a Ghostscript version 9.02 that is a tar.gz 
> > > > > > > > > > > > file like the other packages for Octave on Sourceforge. Should 
> > > > > > > > > > > > I download this and install it as a package in OCTAVE? Will 
> > > > > > > > > > > > that do the trick?
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > I am sorry to pass you these stupid problems. I am aware that 
> > > > > > > > > > > > OCTAVE is free so I should not complain. However, please 
> > > > > > > > > > > > understand that I want to spend my effort on using it in place 
> > > > > > > > > > > > of struggling with the installation. My wish is that you 
> > > > > > > > > > > > prepare a complete installation package for stupid users as I 
> > > > > > > > > > > > such that there is no need to install any other packages. 
> > > > > > > > > > > > Please....
> > > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > > On the symbolic package. I downloaded the package from the 
> > > > > > > > > > > > sourgeforge.net site for windows. The name of the package is 
> > > > > > > > > > > > octave-3.6.2-symbolic-1.1.0-vs2010-setup.exe. After having 
> > > > > > > > > > > > installed OCTAVE 3.6.2 I clicked on the package to activate its 
> > > > > > > > > > > > installation like I had done it for the other packages 
> > > > > > > > > > > > available on the same site. But the symbolic package came with 
> > > > > > > > > > > > the error message, while all the other packages installed 
> > > > > > > > > > > > without any error message.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > I can't help with this.  Hopefully someone familiar with the 
> > > > > > > > > > > symbolic package on windows with help.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Ben
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Dear Ben Abbott,
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Sorry, but it does not work.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > I have attached a screen snap and a copy of the octaverc file, 
> > > > > > > > > > > where I have added the path information. It seems to me that 
> > > > > > > > > > > OCTAVE is still looking for a file named ghostscript.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > I would highly appreciate that you integrate ghostscript in the 
> > > > > > > > > > > installation package for Windows 7, 64 bit. In that way it would 
> > > > > > > > > > > work.
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > > Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > > > > > > > <Install Ghostscript.docx>
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > When you installed Ghostscript, what was the "Destination 
> > > > > > > > > > directory"?
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > DId you set "gs_path" to the "Destination directory" in 
> > > > > > > > > > ~\.octaverc?
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Using the default destination directory for 32 bit Win7 the adds 
> > > > > > > > > > to include in ~/.octaverc are ...
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > cmd_path = getenv ("path");
> > > > > > > > > > gs_path = 'C:\Program Files (x86)\gs\gs9.05';
> > > > > > > > > > if (isempty (strfind (cmd_path, gs_path)))
> > > > > > > > > > setenv ('path', strcat (cmd_path, pathsep (), gs_path));
> > > > > > > > > > endi
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Ben
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Dear Ben Abbott,
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Maybe this info can help clarifying the problem.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > I have added to the octaverc file an fprintf of the path before 
> > > > > > > > > and after the addition of the path to the gswin64. The print shows 
> > > > > > > > > that the correct folder is added to the path.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > To verify the path is indeed there I have entered at the command 
> > > > > > > > > prompt of OCTAVE   system("gswin64.exe") and ghostscript starts 
> > > > > > > > > up. Thus it is in the path.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Why does it not start when I enter  print -dpdf -Ggswin64.exe 
> > > > > > > > > test.pdf
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > > > > Jorgen Sandberg
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > You can see the ghostscript command used by Octave by adding -debug 
> > > > > > > > to your print stattement
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > print -debug -dpdf -Ggswin64.exe test.pdf
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Please copy the result into your reply.  Is the correct command 
> > > > > > > > being used?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Ben
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Dear Ben,
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > No, I do not see the correct command. I have attached a screendump. 
> > > > > > > I have also include the system command calling the gswin64.exe and 
> > > > > > > as you can see it works, thus the path to the gswin64.exe is there.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ok. The gswin64.exe is a GUI program.  You'll need to tell print() to 
> > > > > > use the command line version (see section 4.2 at the link below).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > http://ghostscript.com/doc/current/Install.htm#Install_Windows
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Does the command below work for you (added the "c") ?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > print -Ggswin64c.exe test.pdf
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ben
> > > > >
> > > > > Dear Ben,
> > > > >
> > > > > Unfortunately, no it does not help to change to gswin64c.exe. I have 
> > > > > attached a new screendump and indeed the gswin64c outputs to the same 
> > > > > window as used by Octave.
> > > >
> > > > Ok.  Let's back up and check a few things. Does the command below run 
> > > > Ghostscript ?
> > > >
> > > > system gswin64c.exe
> > > >
> > > > If not, what does the following return.
> > > >
> > > > getenv path
> > > >
> > > > If you see 'C:\Program Files (x86)\gs\gs9.05\' in the path, what does 
> > > > the command below return ?
> > > >
> > > > dir 'C:\Program Files (x86)\gs\gs9.05\'
> > > >
> > > > Ben
> > >
> > > Dear Ben,
> > >
> > > Yes, the command:
> > >
> > > system gswin64c.exe
> > >
> > > runs ghostscript in the same prompt window as Octave.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Jorgen
> >
> > I'm out of ideas.
> >
> > Hopefully, someone else will have an idea.
> >
> > Ben
>
> Dear Ben,
>
> In my mind the -G option does not work as intended.
>
> I can only repeat my wish that free source software is also made available 
> as a complete self-contained installation package for people like me that 
> wants to use the software and not be bothered with installation problems. 
> Yes, I ask a lot of people making the software in their spare time. OCTAVE 
> is not the only free source software package suffering from lacking the 
> last step to make it user friendly.

Octave (like all GPL software) is developed by volunteers.  The reason 
Octave doesn't work as well on Windows as it does on Linux and/or MacOSX is 
because very few individuals who use Windows are active in development.  We 
appreciate that you've put in a lot of effort on this, and hope you'll 
continue.

Another problem is that Ghostscript for Windows doesn't always install in 
the same location, doesn't always have the same name,  and by default isn't 
placed in the command shell's path.

Even so, I'm surprised this problem is so difficult to resolve.  What is 
most frustrating is that I'm able to print from Win7 using VirtualBox on 
MacOS X.

If you'd like to try to continue, the statement that I suspect is failing is 
below.

ghostscript_binary = file_in_path (getenv ("path"), "gswin64c.exe")

If that command does work, then I have one more suggestion.  Try to set the 
GSC environment variable.

setenv GSC gswin64c.exe
plot (rand (3))
print test.pdf

Ben