Install Octave under Windows - how it works
Installing the Octave software can be a little tricky on Windows. This is why we show you in this practical tip how you can install the software package.
Windows: Install Octave
The easiest way to install is with the "Octave Forge" software package. Because this brings with it almost all additional packages.
- Download the current version of the Octave Forge from the manufacturer's website. Although this is not the latest version, it also includes the "Octave GUI" graphical user interface.
- After the download, start the downloaded .exe file with administration rights.
- In the next window you have to specify your processor type. With newer processors like i3, i5 or i7 you can choose "OpenBLAS". If you are unsure, just choose Generic.
- In the next step you can choose different additional packages. At "Octave Forge" it is best to select all if you do not know what you will need later.
- Now you can start the installation.
- After the installation you can find the command line "Octave" as well as the graphical user interface "Octave GUI" in your start menu.
Use Octave on Windows
- After the successful installation you can open Octave GNU and Octave GUI like any other program via the start menu.
- You can perform simple arithmetic tasks to check the functionality. For example, entering "5.2 + 7/2" should produce "ans = 8.7". Make sure that Octave does not recognize commas in numbers. Use a point here.
- In Octave, many arithmetic steps can also be called up with one function. For example, you can display the natural logarithm by entering "ln (5)".
- The easiest way to get an overview of all functions is to use the GNU Octave documentation.
Tip: You can find more Windows practical tips in our Windows section.