installing Scilab/Octave or any other programmes.. HELP!!!!

Hi guys..

IM really new to ubuntu and linux.. so basically..im really having problem on installing my softwares and all.. i do realise that i would need to download it from the net.. but after downloading it.. i dunno wut to do...

currently..i need a program that is similar to matlab.. read that ppl suggested me to use octace or scilab.. downloaded scilab from the net.. but i still dunno how to install it.. nor to use it...

as for octave... i managed to install it using synaptics package manager... but still dunno how to run it nor to use it...

same as well to other programmes that i might need in the future.. wut do i need to do to install it properly...

i am faling in love wif linux.. but i guess i still haf lots to learn.. do help me out guys...

cheers.
kimie

Octave is very similar to MATLAB. When I was at Uni, we used to use MATLAB in engineering, and Octave on UNIX machines in maths. I found them to be quite similar.

To start Ocatve, simply open a Terminal or Run Dialog (Alt+F2) and use

Code:

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octave

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Arrays and matrices are entered exactly the same, and operations on them are the same. Even functions follow the same format, and alot of commands are similar.

You should probably start with the Octave Online Manual for more help.

You might also want to install GNUPlot, which is also available in the universe repository (where you should have gotten Octave)

I just downloaded scilab. I'm new to ubuntu too. I don't know how to install it.
Someone help me quick!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sl-gnome

I just downloaded scilab. I'm new to ubuntu too. I don't know how to install it.
Someone help me quick!

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When you say "I just downloaded scilab", do you mean you downloaded the file scilab-4.1-bin.linux-i686.tar.gz from the scilab web page? Or did you get scilab-4.1-src.tar.gz (the source code)?

If you need the newest version of scilab (version 4.1), you'll have to get it from the scilab web page. If you are OK with version 4.0, and you are running edgy or feisty, you can install it from the Ubuntu multiverse repository. Assuming you have this repository enabled, you can use Synaptic to install the packages scilab and scilab-doc, or in a terminal you can run the command

Code:

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$ sudo apt-get install scilab scilab-doc

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I suggest that you also install gnuplot to get plotting working in octave.

Code:

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$sudo apt-get install gnuplot

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Alternatively you can go to Synaptic Package Manager (System->Administration->Synaptic Package Manager) and do a search for scilab, and then mark for installation. The command line option works just as well, but I prefer using the GUI.

Generally speaking, using repositories are the key to easy and fun Linux use. So if you want an application, first search in Add/Remove Applications, then check Synaptic (some programs that are in the repositories, like scilab, don't show up in Add/Remove but they do in Synaptic), and if you still cant find what you need then look around on the internet, and make sure you chose the Debian packages as Ubuntu is based on Debian.

Or you could compile from source, but that can be a big pain and take allot more Linux knowledge.

Stick with the repositories and your life will be easier.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ahmatti

I suggest that you also install gnuplot to get plotting working in octave.

Code:

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$sudo apt-get install gnuplot

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Ok I did what you told me. Chucked scilab and stuck to octave. You see, I don't know what to do after installing it. Can't seem to open it. I know this sounds ludicrous and rudimentary. Please help.
I found the folder that Octave is in, but I just can't seem to get my hold on it.
I downloaded Octave from the web and installed it( I think).
Now what>?

Octave doesn't have a graphical interface so there is no menu entry. To start Octave open up a terminal window Applications>Accessories>Terminal then in the terminal window type

Code:

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octave

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You will then be in an octave session and can use all the standard commands which are almost identical to Matlab commands.

If you really want a GUI for Octave you can install Octave workshop following the instructions here http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...0310&page=5#42 in the second post or you can try Qtoctave from here http://qtoctave.wordpress.com/what-is-qtoctave/

You could also try koctave

Code:

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sudo apt-get install koctave

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if you are using KDE but I have found it to be very unstable on Gnome. Koctave is a very good Matlab like frontend though.

Your other option is to install scilab

Code:

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sudo apt-get install scilab scilab-doc

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which gives a good graphical maths program with pretty well all the features of Matlab.

EDIT: I see you already tried scilab so ignore that comment if you like

to be honest I think the scilab from the repos is a bit dodgy, for me its had a couple of probs. The downloaded version from their site is better. To install either read the read me or follow this. Untar the package, cd to the bin directory in the scilab folder, type 'make', now its installed to that folder. To run it just type 'scilab' in that same bin directory.

If you didn't understand that then either read the readme or install it from the repos.

I cant find ocatve in the synaptic manager. There is Kocatve and when i try to run it, it says there is some error and it closes. I have tried to install an ocatve that i had for windows using wine but it does not start when I click the desktop icon. I the wine menu there is only the uninstall icon. I tried downloading .tar files and i couldn't install them. When I type sudo apt-get install ocatve i get this.

E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?

then i tried the:

tar xfvz tarball_name

and still didnt work. am I maybe typing the file name wrong? because I write the name of the file as it appers on the desktop.

i found octave in synaptic and I downloaded it, pressed alt+F2 and tried to run it, and nothing happens. It appears in the wine menu for some reason.

This is what appers in the terminal when I try to rub koctave which i newly installed

X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 169
Major opcode: 145
Minor opcode: 3
Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device
X Error: BadDevice, invalid or uninitialized input device 169
Major opcode: 145
Minor opcode: 3
Resource id: 0x0
Failed to open device
kOctave: WARNING: KXMLGUIClient::setXMLFile: cannot find .rc file kOctaveui.rc
kOctave: WARNING: KXMLGUIClient::setXMLFile: cannot find .rc file editorui.rc
kOctave: WARNING: KXMLGUIClient::setXMLFile: cannot find .rc file editorui.rc
No lib found, check that kdebase is properly installed!
QObject::connect: Cannot connect (null)::destroyed() to KApplication::quit()

Can anybody help?


thank you for your valuable time