Re: Symbolic package for Octave

[Nicholas Jankowski]

hmm... that's odd. the bundled version should include both the Python and the Sympy addin that you need. You shouldn't have to do anything other than run the Octave pkg install command.

Once you run the pkg install command, you don't even need the .zip file anymore. the installer should have put all the files where you need them. Just confirming that the file you downloaded was symbolic-win-py-bundle-2.2.2.zip ?

it's possible it's conflicted about something from previous install attempts. since it's Windows, does anything change when you exit and re-open Octave?  Had you tried installing Python separate from the symbolic package before?  Maybe there's an existing setting confusing octave?

Maybe try:
pkg uninstall symbolic

make sure that there are no symbolic-x.y.z folders left under
C:\Octave\octave-4.0.0\share\octave\packages

(yours might not be under C:\Octave if that's not where you put it)

if so, delete it.

then from inside Octave re-run:

pkg install -auto symbolic-win-py-bundle-2.2.2.zip

Then try the command again. That folder with all of the packages should have a /symbolic-2.2.2  folder.  There should be a /bin folder with py.exe and a sympy folder under that.

the output I get on my first call to symbolic is the following:

>> pkg load symbolic
>> syms x
OctSymPy v2.2.2: this is free software without warranty, see source.
Initializing communication with SymPy using a popen2() pipe.
Detected Windows: using "winwrapy.bat" to workaround Octave bug #43036
Some output from the Python subprocess (pid 9100) might appear next.

OctSymPy: Communication established.  SymPy v0.7.6.
Python 2.7.9 (default, Dec 10 2014, 12:24:55) [MSC v.1500 32 bit (Intel)]
>>


n Mon, Jul 13, 2015 at 10:01 AM, Pervin, William <address@hidden> wrote:

Did what you told me - THANKS AGAIN! - and seem to have symbolic
zip file installed (with -auto). Tried it and got:

_______________________________________________________________
>> x=sym('x')
OctSymPy v2.2.2: this is free software without warranty, see sou
rce.
Initializing communication with SymPy using a popen2() pipe.
Detected Windows: using "winwrapy.bat" to workaround Octave bug
#43036
Some output from the Python subprocess (pid 13412) might appear
next.
extractblock: read an error back from python
str1 =
<class 'ImportError'>

str2 =
No module named 'sympy'

error: error reading back from python
error: called from
    extractblock>process_item at line 166 column 7
    extractblock>helper at line 51 column 14
    extractblock at line 13 column 8
    python_ipc_popen2 at line 82 column 7
    python_ipc_driver at line 30 column 13
    python_cmd at line 137 column 9
    sym at line 359 column 5

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Am I supposed to unzip this file before using it? It looks like a Python
error message to me.

Dr. William J. Pervin

Professor Emeritus of Mathematics,
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
and Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas
________________________________________
From: address@hidden [address@hidden] on behalf of Nicholas Jankowski [address@hidden]
Sent: Wednesday, July 08, 2015 10:11 AM
To: Pervin, William
Subject: Re: Symbolic package for Octave

yes, got your voicemail reply. I'm in and out of the office, but happy to respond by email. if you keep the address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden> on those emails, I'm sure they'll chime in as well.

Apparently there has been a lot of good work recently bringing the Symbolic package up to snuff. Seems that the biggest decision to make is whether you want to (or want the students to) manage the Python requirement separately, or use the bundled version. the only downside to the bundled version is that you will have to manually download and run the upgrade process as new revisions come out. That's what I do, I don't know how much extra work having a separate Python install would entail.

Of course, in an ECE department, the students might benefit from having Python sitting around. it's a fairly useful high level programming language. You'll also have to remind them that the Octave-Forge packages are almost always 'under development'.  Maybe a few will get interested in contributing...

Nick Jankowski


On Wed, Jul 8, 2015 at 11:02 AM, Pervin, William <address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden>> wrote:
THANKS! I got this message and will work on it next week when I return from out of town.

Bill Pervin

Dr. William J. Pervin

Professor Emeritus of Mathematics,
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
and Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas
________________________________________
From: address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden> [address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden>] on behalf of Nicholas Jankowski [address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden>]
Sent: Monday, July 06, 2015 9:06 PM
To: Pervin, William
Cc: address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden>
Subject: Re: Symbolic package for Octave

On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 9:37 PM, Nicholas Jankowski <address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden><mailto:address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden>>> wrote:
assuming you're

On Mon, Jul 6, 2015 at 9:17 PM, Pervin, William <address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden><mailto:address@hidden<mailto:address@hidden>>> wrote:
I still have no idea of how to install packages. I have downloaded
4.0.0 and it works. I can't get anything "forge" working and have
not gotten any help yet. As I asked before, please give explicit
instructions as to a child. Thanks.

Dr. William J. Pervin

Professor Emeritus of Mathematics,
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
and Computer Science
University of Texas at Dallas


Did you not get any of our previous emails? If so, did any of those things work? Having gotten no response, I assumed you had gotten things working and moved on.

You can see the emails here:

http://octave.1599824.n4.nabble.com/Symbolic-package-for-Octave-tt4670576.html#none

I'll follow up with another reply specific to your latest request, but please send me and the list a direct email so we can be sure you are getting these messages.

Nick Jankowski



Ok, after installing Octave 4.0.0 for Windows, you need to run the Package setup script.  There's a README.html file in the octave-4.0.0 folder with the following instructions:

------------------------
Included Octave Forge Packages

A number of Octave-Forge packages have been included with Octave, however they must be installed in order to use them.

To install:

  *   Start Octave and then open the build_packages.m file found in the src folder where Octave was installed.
  *   Run the script build_packages.m to build and install the packages.

Installation is a one-time procedure. After installation packages must still be loaded in order to use them with the pkg load PACKAGENAME command.

---------------------------

So, after opening Octave, use the folder tree on the upper left to navigate to the octave-4.0.0 install  folder, then the src folder under that.  You should see the build_packages.m file in that same file/folder list. right click that file and select Run.

That will take a little while. But this will install the base Octave Forge packages.  I don't recall if this gets the latest versions from the octave forge website.  You can ensure they're all up-to-date by typing:

>> pkg update

again, this might take a while.

SYMBOLIC:

now, symbolic is something different. it depends on you having installed the correct version of Python and SymPy.  If you want, you can instead manually install a 'bundled' version of the symbolic package (this includes a stand-alone python, you don't have to do anything special).

You can get the bundled version from
https://github.com/cbm755/octsympy/releases/latest

download symbolic-win-py-bundle-2.2.2.zip

You can save this file anywhere, you just need to be able to get there inside of octave to issue the install command.  I saved mine under C:/Octave/

Then, use the folder tree in the upper left again, and navigate to that folder, or wherever else you might have decided to save it. You should see the symbolic-win-py-bundle-2.2.2.zip file in that file/folder list.

type
>> pkg install -auto symbolic-win-py-bundle-2.2.2.zip

(the -auto will make the package load for you every time you open octave. I assume from your initial email that this would be desired. leave out the -auto if you'd rather load it manually every time.)

if you get a 'not found' error, it means Octave's active directory is not where you saved the file. you can use the file/folder window or:

Use the CD command to change to the directory with the file. E.g., if the file is in the C:/Octave directory, you can type:

>> cd c:\octave

then,

>> pwd

will print the current working directory, and

>> dir

will show you the files in that directory.  You need to get to where dir shows you the symbolic-win-py-bundle-2.2.2.zip file.  Then the pkg install command will work.

Please email back verifying receipt of this email, and later let us know if you get stuck an any particular part.  I'd like to see you able to make this work for your class.

Nick J.