[Orgmode] Org, org-plot, and babel+gnuplot on Windows

[John Hendy]

Hi all,

This is a spin-off of the Worg babel-gnuplot announcement: http://osdir.com/ml/emacs-orgmode-gnu/2010-09/msg00715.html

In my hunting it seems that there is some history for gnuplot/org-plot/Windows issues?

--- Thread from 2007; no resolution: http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Comp/comp.emacs/2007-07/msg00159.html

--- Thread from 6/09; suggestion to check with gnuplot-mode maintainer: http://www.mail-archive.com/address@hidden/msg14544.html

I just set up org-mode on my work Windows XP computer and installed gnuplot as follows:

--- downloaded gp440win32.zip from sourceforge.net

--- unpacked the zip file to C:\Program Files\gnuplot

--- opened up and read the README.windows file for instructions

--- added C:\Program Files\gnuplot\binary\ to my PATH variable

--- added an env variable called GDFONTPATH and set it to C:\Windows\Fonts

--- added an env variable called GNUPLOT_FONTPATH and set it to C:\Windows\Fonts

--- added this to init.el: (setq exec-path (append exec-path '("C:/Program Files/gnuplot/binary/wgnuplot.exe")))

During my searching, this page came up: http://orgmode.org/worg/org-contrib/babel/examples/org-check.php

--- It appears that the downloadable file, org-check.org, needs to be updated. The checks for gnuplot and the other babel languages are not actually in the downloaded file. When viewing the page, one (at least me) somewhat expects that the full pass/fail chart will be produced in the downloaded file, but instead it's only checking LaTeX, make pdfs, and agenda.

I can run gnuplot fine from the Win command line. When trying either org-plot/gnuplot or executing a simple babel block, Emacs completely hangs, though. Org-plot produces a *gnuplot* buffer with only "reset" in it and after a babel execution is done hanging I have a completely blank *gnuplot* buffer.

I'm also unable to use gnuplot-mode, though I've not ever used it before. I can enter the mode, but things hang when trying to send the buffer to gnuplot. I also found this thread which seems to say the same: http://groups.google.com/group/gnu.emacs.help/browse_thread/thread/53489131c79f62b3.

--- There is a reference to using gnuplot through Calc. I quasi-tried this but was as mystified by Calc as the first day I touched emacs. I got nothing to happen except for g-f to indeed open a gnuplot window.

Is anyone able to help diagnose this further? I'll include any results in ob-doc-gnuplot and perhaps it can even get put on Worg on org-plot as well. There's got to be a way to make gnuplot play nice with Org...

Does babel require gnuplot-mode to work properly? I realize that org-plot does, but don't recall about ob-gnuplot.

I sent an email to Bruce Ravel, the author of gnuplot-mode, to ask him for any input.

Lastly, is this not even for this mailing list? My apologies if so!

Best regards,

John