From help-request at octave dot org Thu Oct 7 10:51:41 2004 Subject: Re: Migrating to Linux/Octave From: Francis Esmonde-White To: "Paul Thomas" Cc: octave list Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2004 11:43:53 -0400 --Apple-Mail-1-745032575 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Hi Paul, That's a great compilation of sources: is it in the wiki? I think it=20 probably should be. By the way, there is also Knoppix, which makes life very easy in terms=20= of trying/installing linux without needing to do any configuration.=20 Much easier than a standard debian linux install. Just burn & boot from=20= a cd. It'll set up a desktop linux system in very little time (15=20 minutes from booting the CD, you can have a fully installed system). As=20= a bonus: you will know if things are not to your liking before=20 installing! Francis Esmonde-White On 7-Oct-04, at 11:29 AM, Paul Thomas wrote: > Chris, > =A0 > You can, perhaps, stage the process: > =A0 > 1) You can get going with Paul Kienzle's octave binary for Windows,=20 > albeit an oldish version (2.1.50), by downloading from: > =A0 > =A0http://octave.sourceforge.net/Octave_Windows.htm > Click on the first link to octave-forge and you will find a series of=A0= =20 > downloads: click on octave-2.1.50a.exe > =A0 > This is the most reliable of all the Windows binaries that I know of. > Clicking on the .exe file from Explorer results in the execution of=20 > the install programme - there are one or two questions about install=20= > options but it is otherwise very rapid and easy.=A0 It comes with=20 > octave-forge, so does most of the things that Matlab does. > =A0 > You will find it useful to have an editor that knows about=20 > Matlab/octave.=A0 SciTe is probably the most straight forward for=20 > Windows users: > =A0 > http://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html > =A0 > but there is a Windows version of emacs available too: > =A0 > http://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/emacs.html > =A0 > 2) To dip your toes in Linux, why don't you download Cygwin: > =A0 > http://www.cygwin.com=A0? > > This is a form of Linux that runs under Windows.=A0 It will provide = you=20 > with all the standard Linux tools and, when you are feeling=20 > comfortable with it, you can build the latest octave and still have=20 > access to Windows.=A0 You can run Xwindows through it and there is = even=20 > a KDE desktop that works reasonably well under Windows. > =A0 > There is a slight problem with the latest version of the gcc compiler=20= > suite that makes Cygwin run slowly for some operations ( what one=20 > might call fortran-like octave code).=A0 When you get to that stage, = the=20 > problem might be sorted, or one of us can provide you with an older=20 > version of the compilers. > =A0 > An alternative, at this stage, is to install Dirk Eddelbuetel's=20 > Quantian from: > =A0 > http://dirk.eddelbuettel.com/quantian.html > =A0 > This is designed for those doing numeric/scientific work and is packed=20= > with goodies, including octave-2.1.57 (at the moment), octave-forge ,=20= > atlas and fftw > =A0 > 3) Finally, when you are feeling really comfortable, download one of=20= > the the Linux distributions and load it in parallel with Windows.=A0=20= > This is the configuration that I use.=A0 I bought a second hard-drive=20= > and installed Linux on that.=A0 Lilo allows one to switch between the=20= > two at boot time.=A0 I have a partition on the Windows drive that = serves=20 > as a communication space between the two. > =A0 > Sorry if I let the verbosity get out of hand but it seemed a good idea=20= > to suggest a route-map to you! > =A0 > Paul Thomas --Apple-Mail-1-745032575 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi Paul, That's a great compilation of sources: is it in the wiki? I think it probably should be. By the way, there is also Knoppix, which makes life very easy in terms of trying/installing linux without needing to do any configuration. Much easier than a standard debian linux install. Just burn & boot from a cd. It'll set up a desktop linux system in very little time (15 minutes from booting the CD, you can have a fully installed system). As a bonus: you will know if things are not to your liking before installing! Francis Esmonde-White On 7-Oct-04, at 11:29 AM, Paul Thomas wrote: = ArialChris, =A0 ArialYou can, perhaps, stage the process: =A0 Arial1) You can get going with Paul Kienzle's octave binary for Windows, albeit an oldish version (2.1.50), by downloading from: =A0 = Arial=A00000,0000,EEEEhttp://octave.sourceforge.net/Octave_Windows.htm ArialClick on the first link to octave-forge and you will find a series of=A0 downloads: click on octave-2.1.50a.exe Arial =A0 ArialThis is the most reliable of all the Windows binaries that I know of. ArialClicking on the .exe file from Explorer results in the execution of the install programme - there are one or two questions about install options but it is otherwise very rapid and easy.=A0 It comes with octave-forge, so does most of the things that Matlab does. =A0 ArialYou will find it useful to have an editor that knows about Matlab/octave.=A0 SciTe is probably the most straight forward for Windows users: =A0 = Arial0000,0000,EEEEhttp://www.scintilla.org/SciTE.html = =A0 Arialbut there is a Windows version of emacs available too: =A0 = Arial0000,0000,EEEEhttp://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/emacs.html =A0 Arial2) To dip your toes in Linux, why don't you download Cygwin: =A0 = Arial0000,0000,EEEEhttp://www.cygwin.com=A0? ArialThis is a form of Linux that runs under Windows.=A0 It will provide you with all the standard Linux tools and, when you are feeling comfortable with it, you can build the latest octave and still have access to Windows.=A0 You can run Xwindows through it and there is even a KDE desktop that works reasonably well under Windows. =A0 ArialThere is a slight problem with the latest version of the gcc compiler suite that makes Cygwin run slowly for some operations ( what one might call fortran-like octave code).=A0 When you get to that stage, the problem might be sorted, or one of us can provide you with an older version of the compilers. =A0 ArialAn alternative, at this stage, is to install Dirk Eddelbuetel's Quantian = from: =A0 = Arial0000,0000,EEEEhttp://dirk.eddelbuettel.com/quantian.html =A0 ArialThis is designed for those doing numeric/scientific work and is packed with goodies, including octave-2.1.57 (at the moment), octave-forge , atlas and = fftw =A0 Arial3) Finally, when you are feeling really comfortable, download one of the the Linux distributions and load it in parallel with Windows.=A0 This is the configuration that I use.=A0 I bought a second hard-drive and installed Linux on that.=A0 Lilo allows one to switch between the two at boot time.=A0 I have a partition on the Windows drive that serves as a communication space between the two. =A0 ArialSorry if I let the verbosity get out of hand but it seemed a good idea to suggest a route-map to you! =A0 ArialPaul = Thomas = --Apple-Mail-1-745032575-- ------------------------------------------------------------- Octave is freely available under the terms of the GNU GPL. 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