# Re: ruby/gnuplot on windows

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-ruby-gnuplot-on-windows/95012>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [May 19, 2006, 10:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-ruby-gnuplot-on-windows/95012 "2006-05-19T10:14:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:14am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-ruby-gnuplot-on-windows/95012/1 "2006-05-19T10:14:04Z")

</div>

> So is there no way to view the graph without exporting it to file and  
> then opening it in another program? By using cygwin you lose the  
> windows option to view the graph interactively?

No, no. What happens if you open a console (click on one of the Cygwin  
icons) and type in

gnuplot

?

Do you get something like

% gnuplot

```
    G N U P L O T

    Version 4.0 patchlevel 0

    last modified Thu Apr 15 14:44:22 CEST 2004

    System: Linux 2.4.23

    Copyright (C) 1986 - 1993, 1998, 2004

    Thomas W., Colin Kelley and many others

    This is gnuplot version 4.0. Please refer to the documentation

    for command syntax changes. The old syntax will be accepted

    throughout the 4.0 series, but all save files use the new 

```

syntax.

```
    Type `help` to access the on-line reference manual.

    The gnuplot FAQ is available from

            http://www.gnuplot.info/faq/

    Send comments and requests for help to

            <removed_email_address@domain.invalid>

    Send bugs, suggestions and mods to

            <removed_email_address@domain.invalid>

```

Terminal type set to ‘x11’

gnuplot\>

so that you can type in things at the ‘\>’ ?  
If so, then type in  
plot sin(x)  
, please. What happens then?

Best regards,

Axel

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/u/4bbf92/32.png) [@unknown](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/unknown)\
**Post date:** [May 19, 2006, 10:29am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/re-ruby-gnuplot-on-windows/95012/2 "2006-05-19T10:29:29Z")

</div>

unknown wrote:

> > So is there no way to view the graph without exporting it to file and  
> > then opening it in another program? By using cygwin you lose the  
> > windows option to view the graph interactively?
> 
> No, no. What happens if you open a console (click on one of the Cygwin  
> icons) and type in
> 
> gnuplot
> 
> ?
> 
> Do you get something like
> 
> > 
> 
> Terminal type set to ‘x11’
> 
> gnuplot\>

I get terminal type set to ‘unknown’. I tried setting it to xll:

gnuplot\>set term x11 … and I get  
Terminal type set to ‘x11’  
Options are ‘0’  
gnuplot\>  
gnuplot: unable to open display ‘’  
gnuplot: X11 aborted

The base package of x11 was installed with the default install of  
cygwin. Am I missing something?

jon