[OS X TeX] GNUPLOT on Mac

[Vic Norton]

OK. Here is a really oddball way to install gnuplot-4.2.3 in /usr/ 
local/bin on a Mac---but it will work.

1. go to <http://octave.sourceforge.net/>
2. click on the "Octave.app for Mac OS X" link
3. download the appropriate "2008-04-26 binary of Octave 3.0.1"
4. open the resulting DMG file
5. open the gnuplot-4.2.3 DMG the Extras folder
6. drop Gnuplot.app into your applications folder
7. go to /usr/local/bin in terminal and do
8. $ sudo ln -sf "/Applications/Gnuplot.app/Contents/Resources/bin/ 
gnuplot"

You are done. Now gnuplot-4.2.3 can be opened by double-clicking  
Gnuplot.app in your application folder or by starting a gnuplot  
script with the shebang line
	
	#!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
	
In particular the script
	
	#!/usr/local/bin/gnuplot
	
	show version long
	
will produce


	G N U P L O T
	Version 4.2 patchlevel 3
	last modified Mar 2008
	System: Darwin 8.11.0

	Copyright (C) 1986 - 1993, 1998, 2004, 2007, 2008
	Thomas Williams, Colin Kelley and many others

	Type `help` to access the on-line reference manual.
	The gnuplot FAQ is available from http://www.gnuplot.info/faq/

	Send bug reports and suggestions to <http://sourceforge.net/projects/ 
gnuplot>

Compile options:
-READLINE  +LIBREADLINE  +HISTORY  +BACKWARDS_COMPATIBILITY   
+BINARY_DATA
+GD_JPEG  +GD_GIF  +ANIMATION
-NOCWDRC  +X11  +X11_POLYGON  +MULTIBYTE  +USE_MOUSE  +HIDDEN3D_QUADTREE
+DATASTRINGS  +HISTOGRAMS  +OBJECTS  +STRINGVARS  +MACROS  +IMAGE

DRIVER_DIR     = "/Applications/Gnuplot.app/Contents/Resources/ 
libexec/gnuplot/4.2"
GNUPLOT_PS_DIR = "/tmp/gnuplot-ppc/share/gnuplot/4.2/PostScript"
HELPFILE       = "/Applications/Gnuplot.app/Contents/Resources/share/ 
gnuplot/4.2/gnuplot.gih"