How to install Mavscript

Quick instructions

Unzip the archive file into any directory, e.g. into C:\Programme (Windows) or /usr/local/share (Linux). The expression path-to-mavscript then stands for C:\Programme\mavscript.
Copy the file path-to-mavscript\INFO\desktoplinks\Mavscript.windows.lnk or path-to-mavscript/INFO/desktoplinks/Mavscript.linux.desktop on the desktop.
Right click on the icon, choose the item Properties. In the dialogue that opens you may need to adjust the path-to-mavscript !
If you haven't already, install Java (Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or above).
The algebra engine Yacas requires Gnuplot for graphics (Plot2D, Plot3DS). Add it to the PATH variable.

Windows

Extract the zip file mavscript*.zip into any directory, e.g. into C:\Programme (note: depending on the system language this directory might be called differently, i.e. C:\Program Files). A subdirectory mavscript will be created. The path-to-mavscript then is C:\Programme\mavscript.
Java (JRE) version 1.7 or higher must be installed. To check this, open the command prompt (DOS-window) and type java -version . If a message appears saying java could not be found, java is not installed.
In the directory C:\Programme\mavscript\INFO\desktoplinks there is a file Mavscript.windows.lnk. Drag this file - while pressing the Ctrl-key - on the desktop.
Select the icon on the desktop (that has just been created), press the right mouse button and open the properties dialogue. In one of the tabs there is a command field. There should be written C:\Programme\mavscript\mavscript-yacas.bat . In the field working directory: C:\Programme\mavscript .
Note, you might have to adjust the path-to-mavscript (i.e . C:\Program Files\mavscript) in both fields.
Mavscript is now installed. There are example files in the directory C:\Programme\mavscript\example . Drag one of it (i.e. 1-mavscript.txt) on the mavscript-icon on the desktop (that has been created in point 3). A window opens and when everything works fine on the last line should be written "Done", saying that the calculation has been completed. The output file out-1-mavscript.txt has been created.
It is not mandatory to have installed OpenOffice or LibreOffice, but it is useful to create formatted text. The OpenOffice-Writer files (suffix .odt can be used with Mavscript exactly the same way as text or html files. Microsoft Word files (suffix .docx) are experimentally supported and might not work. However if you know Word you'll get along with OpenOffice.
If you intend to run Mavscript from the command line, it is useful to add Mavscript to the %PATH% variable: C:\Programme\mavscript
Then Mavscript can be run within the directory of the template.

It does not work ...

If mavscript doesn't even start, the path-to-mavscript might not be set correctly (see above).
In order to locate the error, open a DOS-window (command prompt) and type the following:
cd \Programme\mavscript
mavscript examples/1-mavscript.txt
If the input file name (or its path name) contains space characters (blanks), then the name has to be encapsulated by "quotation marks". The direct program call out of the DOS-window then looks like this:
java -jar mavscript*.jar ./"template file with blanks"
If the option --port does not work, a Firewall might prevent Mavscript from connecting to the external program. If this is the case, a message in the Mavscript window should say that Mavscript could not establish the connection. Configure the firewall program, that it allows the connection (i.e. on port 9734).

LINUX mavscript*.rpm

Java (JRE) version 1.7 or higher must be installed. To check this open a shell and type: java -version
Open a shell and type
sudo rpm -Uvh mavscript*.rpm
and enter the root password.

Mavscript is now installed. It can be called from any directory.

`mavscript ./template.txt`
`mavscript /home/<user>/template.txt`
`mavscript-yacas ./template.txt`	Abbreviation for `mavscript --yacas --init /usr/share/mavscript/lib/init.ys ./template.txt`
`mavscript-beanshell ./beanshell_template.txt`	Abbreviation for `mavscript --beanshell --init /usr/share/mavscript/lib/init.bsh ./beanshell_template.txt`

There are examples in the directory /usr/share/doc/packages/mavscript/examples . Try them out:

mavscript-yacas -o ~/out-test.txt
      /usr/share/doc/packages/mavscript/examples/1-mavscript.txt

Manuals and further information are located in the directory /usr/share/doc/packages/mavscript/INFO or use the commands
mavscript --help and



      man mavscript

In order to create an icon for Mavscript on the KDE-desktop, drag the file Mavscript.linux.desktop from the directory /usr/share/doc/packages/mavscript/INFO/desktoplinks on the desktop and confirm copying.

Copy an example file (e.g. 2-mavscript-yacas.txt) in your home directory and drag the copied file on the mavscript-icon on the desktop. A window opens and when everything works fine on the last line should be written "Done", saying that the calculation has been completed. The output file out-2-mavscript-yacas.txt has been created.
It is not mandatory to have installed LibreOffice, but it is useful to create formatted text. The OpenOffice-Writer files (suffix .odt) can be used with Mavscript exactly the same way as text or html files.

LINUX mavscript*.zip

Java (JRE) version 1.7 or higher must be installed. To check this open a shell and type: java -version
Extract the zip file mavscript*.zip into any directory, e.g. into /usr/local/share. The path-to-mavscript then is /usr/local/share/mavscript. You'll need to be root to write to this directory. Step by step:
Open a shell (konsole) and type
cd /usr/local/share
sudo unzip /home/USER/mavscript*.zip -d . (Type the point following -d !) If necessary replace the * by the version number.
Enter the root password.
Try to run an example from the Shell
cd /usr/local/share/mavscript
./mavscript-yacas -o ~/out-test.txt examples/1-mavscript.txt
KDE: In the directory /usr/local/share/mavscript/INFO/desktoplinks is a file called Mavscript.linux.desktop . Drag this file on the desktop and confirm copying.
Select the icon on the desktop (that has just been created), press the right mouse button and open the properties dialogue. In the tab "programs" in the command field should be written: konsole --noclose --notabbar --nomenubar -T "mavscript" --workdir /usr/local/share/mavscript/ -e /usr/local/share/mavscript/mavscript-yacas
KDE: Mavscript is now installed. There are examples in the directory /usr/local/share/mavscript/examples . Copy an example file (i.e. 2-mavscript-yacas.txt) in your home directory and drag the copied file on the mavscript-icon on the desktop. A window opens and when everything works fine on the last line should be written "Done", saying that the calculation has been completed. The output file out-2-mavscript-yacas.txt has been created.
It is not mandatory to have installed LibreOffice, but it is useful to create formatted text. The OpenOffice-Writer files (suffix .odt) can be used with Mavscript exactly the same way as text or html files.
It is recommended to have Mavscript in the path. Make a symbolic copy (cp -s /usr/local/share/mavscript/mavscript .) of the files mavscript, mavscript-yacas, mavscript-beanshell.

It does not work ...

In order to locate the error open a shell an type:
cd /usr/local/share/mavscript
./mavscript -o ~/out-test.txt examples/1-mavscript.txt
If the option --port does not work, the Firewall might prevent Mavscript from connecting to the external program. If this is the case, a message in the Mavscript window should say that Mavscript could not establish the connection. Configure the firewall, that is allows the connection (i.e. on port 9734).

Mac OS X, Solaris and other operation systems

Mavscript runs on operation systems that have Java installed.

1. Extract the zip file mavscript*.zip into any directory.

2. Open a shell and try it out cd path-to-mavscript
./mavscript-yacas examples/1-mavscript.txt