matlab

[Henry A. Leinhos]

Hi,

>does someone know if there is a free version of a pseudo-matlab
> available ...
>
> or even a matlab compiled for linux-ppc
>
> thanks in advance
>
> briner_20021001
>


I use octave (http://www.octave.org) and find it 98% compatible with Matl=
ab. The main differences are in the plot functions, which use gnuplot-bas=
ed syntax. The trick is that you have to execute it with the --traditiona=
l flag (--braindead also works), which sets the environment up in a matla=
b-compatible mode.  Octave has a large number of built-in variables that =
control behaviors.

> Octave is a matlab workalike. It does not allow mex interfaces. It=20
> also will
> not automatically run existing matlab scripts (not all features are
> implemented). I think that octave is distributed with ydl as a tasty=20
> morsel.
>
> Depending on what you want to do, octave may be ok.
>
> John
>
Octave has an .oct interface, which mirrors Matlab's .mex functionality, =
if not the API.  I haven't done much .mex programming lately, but octave =
is written in C++, and presents a much cleaner API than Matlab (including=
 creating new types and redefining operations -- I wrote one .oct functio=
n that created binary types and implemented bit-wise operations).  There =
is an additional project called Octave-forge (http://octave.sourceforge.n=
et/).  The rpm that comes with YDL is a couple revisions old, so you're b=
etter off downloading the source (2.1.36) and compiling it yourself (ther=
e are some library dependencies like blas and lapack that can be found on=
 the  YDL2.2 Extras CD).  After that, get the octave-forge package and co=
mpile/install that, and you should be good to go.  If you have to interop=
erate with Mathworks-slaves, you can set up some environment parameters t=
o control the plot functionality, but I mostly avoid those aspects of mat=
lab to maintain compatibility.

If you need neat point-and-click graphics, then kmatplot (http://kmatplot=
=2Esourceforge.net) gives you a polished interface.

Henry