Re: Octave 4.2 binary + all packages in Linux ?

[Mike Miller]

On Thu, Apr 13, 2017 at 04:34:29 -0700, roland65 wrote:
> Building Octave on Linux is not so easy because of the lot of dependencies.
> 
> In Windows, I got Octave + 44 packages without any effort, while on Linux I
> spent hours to configure and compile Octave 4.2.1 and 12 packages...

I think you are comparing unlike efforts here.

Very low effort is installing a prebuilt binary of Octave:

  Windows: download and run the installer, or use cygwin installer

  GNU/Linux: ${apt or dnf or yum} install octave octave-{geometry,image,io,...}

This is very low effort for the user because the package maintainers
have spent countless thankless hours making this process easy.

Medium effort is running a build script that someone else took the time
to write:

  Windows: boot a GNU/Linux VM, pull mxe-octave, build it

  GNU/Linux: build an Octave source package from a distribution, install
  it, then install packages from Octave Forge

In both cases, the scripts auto-install dependencies, run the right
build rules, out pops a binary that you can use. Takes a little more
effort on your part but a lot of CPU cycles.

Larger effort is getting the Octave source yourself and figuring out how
to build it yourself:

  Windows: install cygwin or mingw, fetch Octave source, figure out how
  to configure and compile it

  GNU/Linux: install dependencies, fetch Octave source, figure out how
  to configure and compile it

Why do things the hard way on GNU/Linux but the easy way on Windows?

Have you tried mxe-octave's native GNU/Linux build option?

Are you asking for help finding the easy to way install the latest
stable release on GNU/Linux $distro?

Are you suggesting that it's unfair that there is an all-in-one
installer for Windows but not for GNU/Linux $distro?

-- 
mike