Lukas Reichlin wrote:

> Try installing AquaTerm:
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/aquaterm/

That actually did solve it.  The AquaTerm bundled inside Gnuplot.app 
doesn't work, but this one (installed via AquaTerm.pkg, and then moved 
next to Octave.app and Gnuplot.app) actually does work.

So, it appears as though a complete install of Octave (able to plot) 
would include Octave.app, Gnuplot.app, and AquaTerm.app.

Or, perhaps the alleged built-in plotting capability can be somehow 
activated -- though all my googling has entirely failed to find any 
mention of this beyond the cryptic remark in Octave's Readme.html.

Octave looks like a great tool, and I hate to think of how many folks 
are probably giving up on it when it fails so quickly out of the box. 
What can I do to help improve the new-user experience?  I might suggest 
a some combination of the following:

1. Add a "Troubleshooting" section of the ReadMe, that suggests things 
like installing AquaTerm or whatever other measures we find are 
necessary to get people up and running.

2. Change the Octave installer disk image, which currently says "To 
install, drag Octave.app to your Applications folder" (and has a big 
arrow to encourage you to do just that).  This is neither necessary nor 
sufficient.  Better would be to make a folder that contains everything 
needed, and direct the user to drag the whole folder to Applications:

    Octave  (folder)
       Octave.app
       Gnuplot.app
       AquaTerm.app
       Doc (folder)
       Readme.html

3. If the legendary built-in plotter really does exist, Octave ought to 
be configured to use it by default.  Users who know and love Gnuplot can 
switch to it, right?

4. The General FAQ should be updated to contain the question about 
changing the graphics backend that the Requirements section claims it has.


Best,
- Joe


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