Re: LOADPATH problem with Octave-Forge

[LUK ShunTim]

Ron Crummett wrote:
> Hi -
> 
> First of all, thanks to everyone for the input on the advantages of the 
> 2.9.x branch.  I have decided to take the plunge and installed 2.9.6 
> from the Ubuntu repositories.
> 
> In doing so, a counterpart Octave-Forge package is not available so I am 
> trying to build it myself.  Everything goes will until the very end when 
> I get this message:
> 
> To use, add the following to .octaverc:
>    LOADPATH = [ 
> '/usr/lib/octave/2.9.6/site/oct/i486-pc-linux-gnu/octave-forge:/usr/share/octave/2.9.6/site/m/octave-forge//:',
>  
> LOADPATH ];
>    EXEC_PATH = [ '/usr/lib/octave/2.9.6/site/exec/i486-pc-linux-gnu:', 
> EXEC_PATH ];
> 
> 'No problem,' I say; I've had plenty of experience in editing my 
> .octaverc file in the past.  But after doing so, when I start up Octave, 
> I get the following message on startup:
> 
> error: `LOADPATH' undefined near line 4 column 112
> 
> A search of the archives indicates that something has changed and 
> directs me to read the "NEWS" file.  But as I installed it from a 
> precompiled package, I have no such file to consult.  What do I need to 

No, it shouldn't happen like that. Perhaps file a bug to ubuntu.

Here's the relevant part from the NEWS file from Debian/sid -- Octave 2.9.9

<quote>
 ** The way Octave handles search paths has changed.  Instead of
    setting the built-in variable LOADPATH, you must use addpath,
    rmpath, or path to manipulate the function search path.  These
    functions will maintain "." at the head of the path, for
    compatibility with Matlab.

    Leading, trailing or doubled colons are no longer special.
    Now, all elements of the search path are explicitly included in
    the path when Octave starts.  To display the path, use the path
    function.

    Path elements that end in // are no longer searched recursively.
    Instead, you may use addpath and the genpath function to add an
    entire directory tree to the path.  For example,

      addpath (genpath ("~/octave"));

    will add ~/octave and all directories below it to the head of the
    path.
</quote>

Regards,
ST
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