Octave for Microsoft Windows

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GNU Octave is primarily developed on GNU/Linux and other POSIX conformal systems. The ports of GNU Octave to Windows use different approaches to get most of the original Octave and adapt it to Microsoft Windows idiosyncrasies (eg: dynamic libraries, file paths, permissions, environment variables, GUI system, etc). Bear this in mind and don't panic if you get unexpected results. There are a lot of suggestions on the mailing lists for tuning your Octave installation.

About version numbers (Feb 2012):

  • The 3.6.x are current releases.
  • The 3.4.x are previous releases.
  • The 3.2.x are very old releases.

Standalone ports

Octave-3.6.0-mingw + octaveforge pkgs

Files for manual installation

  1. Octave-3.6.0-mingw binaries tree
    • Octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2_20120129.7z - MD5:53E4823B0DC5F2923C4CBCB8B60FC1B6
    This is a 7z archive which includes a directory tree of all the binaries and libraries required for a complete octave installation (excluding octaveforge packages)
    It can be downloaded from octave forge
    • The archive include:
    • Maintainer: Nitzan Arazi
    • Latest update: 2012-01-29
  2. Octaveforge pkgs, built for Octave-3.6.0-mingw
    • Octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2_pkgs_20120128.7z - MD5:93CC6207EED411BCE747193D3A8B6625
    It can be downloaded from octave forge
    This is a 7z archive which includes additional binaries and libraries for a set of octaveforge packages.
    • The included packages are:
    • actuarial-1.1.0
    • ad-1.0.6_patched
    • audio-1.1.4
    • benchmark-1.1.1
    • bim-1.0.2
    • bioinfo-0.1.2
    • civil-engineering-1.0.7
    • combinatorics-1.0.9
    • communications-1.1.0_svn20120127_patched
    • control-2.2.4
    • data-smoothing-1.2.3
    • dataframe-0.8.2
    • econometrics-1.0.8
    • fenv-0.1.0
    • financial-0.3.2
    • fpl-1.2.0
    • fuzzy-logic-toolkit-0.3.0
    • ga-0.9.8
    • general-1.2.2
    • generate_html-0.1.3
    • geometry-1.4.0
    • gnuplot-1.0.1
    • gpc-0.1.7
    • gsl-1.0.8
    • ident-1.0.7
    • image-1.0.15
    • informationtheory-0.1.8
    • integration-1.0.7_svn20120128
    • io-1.0.16
    • irsa-1.0.7
    • java-1.2.8_patched
    • linear-algebra-2.1.0_svn20120127
    • mapping-1.0.7
    • mechanics-1.2.0
    • miscellaneous-1.0.11_svn20120127
    • missing-functions-1.0.2
    • msh-1.0.2
    • multicore-0.2.15
    • nlwing2-1.2.0
    • nnet-0.1.13
    • nurbs-1.3.5
    • ocs-0.1.3_svn20120128_patched
    • octclip-1.0.0
    • octgpr-1.2.0
    • odebvp-1.0.6
    • odepkg-0.8.0_svn20120127
    • optim-1.0.17_patched
    • optiminterp-0.3.4_svn20120128_patched
    • outliers-0.13.9
    • physicalconstants-0.1.7
    • plot-1.1.0
    • quaternion-1.0.0
    • secs1d-0.0.8
    • secs2d-0.0.8
    • secs3d-0.0.1
    • signal-1.1.2
    • simp-1.1.0
    • sockets-1.0.7_svn20120128_patched
    • specfun-1.1.0
    • special-matrix-1.0.7
    • spline-gcvspl-1.0.8
    • splines-1.0.7
    • statistics-1.1.0_svn20120128
    • strings-1.0.7
    • struct-1.0.9
    • symband-1.0.10
    • symbolic-1.1.0
    • tcl-octave-0.1.8
    • time-1.0.9
    • tsa-4.1.1
    • video-1.0.2_patched
    • vrml-1.0.12_svn20111014_patched
    • windows-1.1.0
    • xraylib-1.0.8
    • zenity-0.5.7
    • Maintainer: Nitzan Arazi
    • Latest update: 2012-01-28

Manual installation instructions

  1. Create an installation directory of which doesn't have space chars (i.e. C:\Octave\Octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2\). This directory is referred hereafter as <your_install_dir>.
  2. Extract the complete directories tree from Octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2_20120129.7z to the installation directory keeping the original directory structure as in the archive (you can use 7-zip tool from http://www.7-zip.org/).
  3. Copy octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2.lnk to any convenient location and edit its properties respectively to point to <your_install_dir>\bin\octave.exe and <your_install_dir>\share\octave\3.6.0\imagelib\octave-logo.ico as an icon
  4. Copy octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2_docs.lnk to any convenient location and edit its properties respectively to point to <your_install_dir>\doc\octave and <your_install_dir>\share\octave\3.6.0\imagelib\octave-logo.ico as an icon.
    At this point you can:
    a. Launch and use octave by double-clicking the copied octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2.lnk
    b. Access and browse the documentation files by double-clicking the copied octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2_docs.lnk

Manual installation instructions for the Octave-forge packages

  1. Extract the complete directories tree from Octave3.6.0_gcc4.6.2_pkgs_20120128.7z to the installation directory (<your_install_dir>) keeping the original directory structure as in the archive (you can use 7zip tool from http://www.7-zip.org/).
  2. In order to update octave_packages database with your installation tree and auto-load most packages (excluding 'ad' and 'windows' which may crash octave when loaded and 'clear all' is executed), launch Octave and execute the following 3 rebuild commands from the octave console:
   pkg rebuild -auto
   pkg rebuild -noauto ad windows
   pkg rebuild -auto java
  1. Last pkg rebuild command is required in order for the java pkg entry to be moved to the top of <your_install_dir>\share\octave\octave_packages db file - thus java pkg is loaded before io pkg is loaded, and io pkg related jars are added to java class path.
  2. You can optionally adjust your installed packages status per your specific needs and usage by executing the following commands:
a. To interactively load or unload a package
pkg load <pkg_name>
or
pkg unload <pkg_name>
b. To disable auto-load for specific pkg <pkg_name>
pkg rebuild -noauto <pkg_name>
c. To enable auto-load for specific pkg <pkg_name>
pkg rebuild -auto <pkg_name>
d. To completely uninstall a package
pkg uninstall <pkg_name>

Optional installation of Notepad++ as an editor (recommended)

  1. Download recent Notepad++ installation package from http://notepad-plus-plus.org/ and install it on your system.
  2. Edit <your_install_dir>\share\octave\site\m\startup\octaverc and un-comment the line which sets octave default editor:
EDITOR('C:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe');
Note: You may adjust the above line for the location of notepad++.exe as installed on your system.

Troubleshooting

Upon launching, some warnings may be displayed. These warnings can be ignored.

  • Following warnings are about missing external tools which may reduce some of the functions of some packages. These external tools are not provided by the 7z archives in sourceforge.
warning: gmsh does not seem to be present some functionalities will be disabled 
warning: dx does not seem to be present some functionalities will be disabled
  • Following warning is about fstat function of the statistics package that overloads the old (to be deprecated) fstat function of octave-3.6.0
warning: function C:\Octave\3.6.0_gcc-4.6.2\share\octave\packages\statistics-1.1.0\fstat.m shadows a core library function

Octave-3.4.3-mingw + octaveforge pkgs

  1. Octave-3.4.3-mingw (without pkgs)
    Octave3.4.3_gcc4.5.2_20111025.7z - MD5:5AA004D933E000E762AE2AE95573ACBD - http://www.multiupload.com/KDQ1N463UW
  2. Octaveforge pkgs, built for Octave-3.4.3-mingw
    Octave3.4.3_gcc4.5.2_pkgs_20111026.7z - MD5:2987F6078B4AD161F2D23634D5109D61 - http://www.multiupload.com/7U6J23CSZ6
The above archive files are now able to be downloaded from
https://sourceforge.net/projects/octave/files/Octave_Windows%20-%20MinGW/Octave%203.4.3%20for%20Windows%20MinGW%20Installer/

Troubleshooting

Upon launching, some warnings may be displayed. The following warnings can be ignored:

  • Following warning is about interpretation of logical operators (on scalars) in octave which is slightly different than matlab's interpretation.
warning: C:\Octave\3.4.3_gcc-4.5.2\share\octave\packages\integration-1.0.7\PKG_ADD: possible Matlab-style short-circuit operator
at line 9, column 32
  • Following messages are from java package about loading of java classes that have been found and how to manually run a statement which will display its capabilities.
io PKG_ADD: java classes has been found and added in C:\Octave\3.4.3_gcc-4.5.2\bin 
io PKG_ADD: run chk_spreadsheet_support([],3) to view io support
  • Following warnings are about missing external tools which may reduce some of the functions of some packages. These external tools are not provided by the 7z archives in sourceforge.
warning: gmsh does not seem to be present some functionalities will be disabled 
warning: dx does not seem to be present some functionalities will be disabled
  • Following warning is about fstat function of the statistics package that overloads the old (to be deprecated) fstat function of octave-3.4.3
warning: function C:\Octave\3.4.3_gcc-4.5.2\share\octave\packages\statistics-1.0.10\fstat.m shadows a core library function

Octave-3.4.2-mingw + octaveforge pkgs

  1. Octave-3.4.2-mingw (without pkgs)
    Octave3.4.2_gcc4.5.2_20110914.7z - MD5:4AA0DD4C97F73B2E9E0F7370CD8AD719 - http://www.multiupload.com/TCUHKNNH9S
  2. Octaveforge pkgs, built for Octave-3.4.2-mingw
    Octave3.4.2_gcc4.5.2_pkgs_20111014.7z - MD5:49097AF3C6FC6CDB58EE83F510A50993 - http://www.multiupload.com/DCWFZOUGZA

Installation

The installation instructions are the same as for the 3.4.3 version, above.

Notes

For details, please see http://old.nabble.com/Octave-3.4.2-mingw-%2B-octaveforge-pkgs-to32394771.html

Upon launching, some warnings may be displayed. The following warnings can be ignored:

  • Following warning is about interpretation of logical operators (on scalars) in octave which is slightly different than matlab's interpretation.
warning: C:\Octave\Octave3.4.2_gcc4.5.2\share\octave\packages\integration-1.0.7\PKG_ADD: possible Matlab-style 
short-circuit operator at line 9, column 32
  • Following warnings are about missing external tools which may reduce some of the functions of some packages. These external tools are not provided by the 7z archives in sourceforge.
warning: gmsh does not seem to be present some functionalities will be disabled
warning: dx does not seem to be present some functionalities will be disabled
  • Following warning is about fstat function of the statistics package that overloads the old (to be deprecated) fstat function of octave-3.4.3
warning: function C:\Octave\Octave3.4.2_gcc4.5.2\share\octave\packages\statistics-1.0.10\fstat.m shadows a core library


Octave 3.2.4 for Windows MinGW32

Includes

  • GNU Octave, version 3.2.4 (i686-pc-mingw32)
  • atlas 3.8.2
  • mingw32 (GCC 4.4.0 on http://www.mingw.org )
  • gnuplot Version 4.4.0 specially prepared for octave
  • mini-MSYS 1.0.11
  • notepad++ 5.6.7 as text editor
  • Some components of octave-forge packages
    • actuarial-1.1.0 (New!)
    • audio-1.1.4
    • benchmark-1.1.1
    • bim-1.0.0 (New!)
    • bioinfo-0.1.2
    • combinatorics-1.0.9
    • communications-1.0.10
    • control-1.0.11
    • data-smoothing-1.2.0
    • econometrics-1.0.8
    • fenv-0.1.0 (New!)
    • financial-0.3.2
    • fixed-0.7.10
    • fpl-1.0.0 (New!)
    • ga-0.9.7
    • general-1.2.0 (updated)
    • generate_html-0.1.2 (New!)
    • gnuplot-1.0.1 (New!)
    • gpc-0.1.7
    • gsl-1.0.8
    • ident-1.0.7
    • image-1.0.10
    • informationtheory-0.1.8
    • integration-1.0.7
    • io-1.0.11 (updated)
    • irsa-1.0.7
    • java-1.2.7 (New!)
    • jhandles-0.3.5 (New!)
    • linear-algebra-1.0.8
    • mapping-1.0.7
    • miscellaneous-1.0.9
    • missing-functions-1.0.2
    • msh-1.0.0 (New!)
    • nlwing2-1.1.1 (New!)
    • nnet-0.1.10
    • nurbs-1.0.3 (New!)
    • ocs-0.0.4 (New!)
    • oct2mat-1.0.7 (New!)
    • octcdf-1.0.17 (updated 1.0.17+)
    • octgpr-1.1.5 (New!)
    • odebvp-1.0.6
    • odepkg-0.6.10 (updated)
    • optim-1.0.12 (updated)
    • optiminterp-0.3.2
    • outliers-0.13.9
    • physicalconstants-0.1.7
    • plot-1.0.7
    • quaternion-1.0.0
    • signal-1.0.10
    • simp-1.1.0 (New!)
    • sockets-1.0.5
    • specfun-1.0.8
    • special-matrix-1.0.7
    • spline-gcvspl-1.0.8 (New!)
    • splines-1.0.7
    • statistics-1.0.9
    • strings-1.0.7
    • struct-1.0.7
    • symband-1.0.10 (New!)
    • symbolic-1.0.9
    • time-1.0.9
    • video-1.0.2 (New!)
    • windows-1.0.8(updated to 1.0.8+)
    • zenity-0.5.7

Notes

  • Although there are some remaining known issues, some bugs reported to the octave-3.2.3 have been corrected. In addition, useful octave-forge packages are added (Java, Jhandles, ....). Please see RELEASE_NOTES.txt for details:
  • Default Octave install folder changed to e.g. C:\Octave\3.2.4_gcc-4.4.0\.
    If you have installed octave in a folder where the path name has whitespace, for example, C:\Program Files\, 'pkg install (package name)' command will fail: See http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/message.php?msg_name=4A1AF9EF.1000005@hotmail.com for details

Additional important topics found after the release: 

     pkg rebuild -noauto oct2mat
at the octave prompt and then restart octave. The operation results in the oct2mat package not to be auto-loaded in startup. When you want to use oct2mat, execute
     pkg load oct2mat
  • The plot octave-forge package still have ginput code although the ginput function is now merge into octave itself. Therefore conflict occur if the plot package is installed. To avoid this problem, rename 'ginput.m' in the folder ..\Octave\3.2.4_gcc-4.4.0\share\octave\packages\plot-1.0.7, for example ginput.ob.m. In some computers which has one core CPU, response of ginput is very slow. In the case, modify '__gnuplot_ginput__.m' according to the following thread. http://old.nabble.com/ginput-on-Octave-3.2.4-mingw32-to28093888.html
  • From gnuplot-4.4.0, the default terminal of gnuplot for windows is the wxt terminal. Some users may set the GNUTERM environmental variable for the windows terminal being default. The gnuplot for windows allows to set GNUTERM to 'win' (abbreviated form) but octave does not recognize the abbreviated form for terminal name. If one would like set GNUTERM to windows terminal, one should specify it as 'windows' (full form) but not 'win' (abbreviated form). In detail see the following thread: http://old.nabble.com/flicking-problem-again-Octave-3.2.4-mingw32-td28038688.html

Octave on Cygwin

Octave 3.6.1 on cygwin

  • Latest packages:
octave-3.6.1-1
octave-forge-20120224-1
  • To install : run cygwin setup.exe and select them in the Math category .
  • On Cygwin 1.7.9-1 the communication between octave and gnuplot is broken due to a cygwin bug.
Please use version cygwin 1.7.11-1 or later.

Notes

  • Not needed anymore, but just in case you want to try one cygwin snapshot.
HOWTO install a cygwin snapshot:
download cygwin1-20120227.dll.bz2 (current last) from http://cygwin.com/snapshots/
   bunzip2 cygwin1-20120227.dll.bz2
   cp cygwin1-20120227.dll cygwin1.dll
   cp /bin/cygwin1.dll /bin/cygwin1.dll_backup
exit all cygwin processes and from windows explorer
copy the cygwin1.dll snapshot to
   c:\cygwin\bin 
   (or in the equivalent directory of your cygwin installation).
  • Graphics is based on X, so to plot you need to start octave within xterm (or similar).
  • If a dlls collision arise, the correct invocation of the rebase utility within dash shell is:
   rebaseall -s "dll|so|oct"
as octave dll's use unexpected ".oct" suffix for its own extension.
  • For general build notes, see etc/README.Cygwin.
  • When building from development source (default branch)
   "make check"
passes almost all the tests.
Only, and not substantial, failures are:
   /pub/hg/octave/src/data.cc : 8 failures due to different handling of complex Inf on sort
   /pub/hg/octave/src/syscalls.cc: 1 failure on fork. This disappears when octave is installed
   /pub/hg/octave/scripts/sparse/svds.m: 1 failure due to test sensitivity on starting point. See 
   https://mailman.cae.wisc.edu/pipermail/octave-maintainers/2011-September/024715.html
  • To build from cygwin source package, you need to install "cygport" and the relevant development libraries
   $ tar -xvjf octave-3.6.1-1-src.tar.bz2 
   gl2ps-print.patch 
   octave-3.6.1-1.cygport 
   octave-3.6.1-1.cygwin.patch 
   octave-3.6.1-1.src.patch 
   octave-3.6.1.tar.bz2

   $ cygport octave-3.6.1-1.cygport almostall
see cygport documentation for further info.
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