gnuplot dependency in octave

[Chris Taylor]

James R. Phillips wrote:
> I am starting a new thread on this issue.
> 
> Quoting from 
> http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2005-12/msg00319.html :
> 
> 
>>I often use octave and do no plotting at all.  Octave starts and runs
>>fine if gnuplot isn't installed.  (It complains about not being able
>>to find gnuplot when the plot command is used.)  Should there really
>>be a dependency if only a subset of features requires a package?
> 
> 
>>I'd prefer to see gnuplot removed from the octave dependency list.
>>Of course then you'd have to deal with all the posts saying that
>>the plot command in octave is broken.  So I don't know what the best
>>approach would be.  How do others feel?
> 
> 
>>Tony Richardson
> 
> 
> As the OP notes, having a gnuplot dependency pulls in X when installing octave,
> which is not what some users need or want.  And octave will load and run just
> fine without gnuplot - it just won't plot.  However, most users want to plot,
> and will need gnuplot.
> 
> So, my current view is that a gnuplot dependency is optimal for most users, and
> that those who don't want it can work around the issue by using known
> solutions, such as hacking the /etc/setup/installed.db file to fool setup into
> thinking gnuplot is installed.
> 
> On the other side is how Debian does it: gnuplot is "suggested" for octave, not
> "required".  Also, Debian has a gnuplot-nox package, which I suppose omits the
> gnuplot X11 drivers, and actually allows installing gnuplot without requiring
> X.
> 
> I think that gnuplot-nox is kind of a neat solution, but even if such a package
> were available in cygwin, we don't have a way to express OR dependencies.  So
> it would be difficult to use this approach.  Also we don't have a way to
> express "suggested" rather than required.
> 
> On balance, I favor retaining the current dependency on gnuplot.  I would ask
> that those with alternative views post to this thread.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> jrp
> 

How about having a gnuplot-nox package like debian, which satisfies the 
dependancy, and having gnuplot-x-drivers available separately?
It could be referenced in the README easily enough, and wouldn't be too 
hard to find..

What do people think of that?


On a sidenote - jrp - want to set the reply-to header to the cygwin 
list? makes it easier for the rest of us to respond on-list :P

Chris

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