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<title>ploticus: correspondence, troubleshooting, and bug reports</title>
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  <td><br><h2>Correspondence, troubleshooting, and bug reports</h2></td>
  <td align=right>
  <small>
  <a href="../doc/Welcome.html"><img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br>
  <a href="../doc/Welcome.html">Welcome</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;
  <a href="../gallery/index.html">Gallery</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;
  <a href="../doc/Contents.html">Handbook</a> 
  <td></tr></table>
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.>>

.TH Correspondence,_troubleshooting,_and_bug_reports PL "10-JAN-2002   PL ploticus.sourceforge.net"
 

.SH CORRESPONDENCE
.ig >>
<a href="http://ploticus.sourceforge.net/sgpr.html">Steve Grubb</a> is the author of ploticus.
.>>
.LP
You can reach me by email at
\fC 
.ig >>
 <a href="mailto:scg@jax.org">scg@jax.org</a> 
.>>
\fR, or by posting to the
.ig >>
<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ploticus">ploticus news group</a>
.>>
(you don't have to join the newsgroup to post or browse).
I reserve the right to use your message in the 
.ig >>
<a href="Feedback.html">
.>>
user feedback page
.ig >>
</a>
.>>
or
.ig >>
<a href="Faq.html">
.>>
FAQ
.ig >>
</a>
.>>
\0.
If you have interesting examples or web sites that use ploticus, please send the
URLs or script files.


.ig >>
<br><br><br>
.>>

.SH TROUBLESHOOTING
Here are some troubleshooting tips and common snafus:
.IP \(bu
Unix users should download gzip tar files.
Zip files are intended only for PC environments (text files have CR/LF line terminators).
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
Before compiling, review the \fBMakefile\fR and follow the simple 3-step 
installation guide.
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
An ANSI-compliant C compiler such as \fBgcc\fR is required to compile the source code.
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
After building, do a quick test.  From within the \fCsrc\fR directory type \fCpl stock.htm\fR.
For further testing see \fC pltestsuite \fR, or run some gallery examples.
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
If you get this error: \fCpl error 4899: No PLOTICUS_PREFABS env var (or hardcoded Makefile 
PREFABS_DIR) found\fR, it indicates that no default prefabs directory was specified
at build time and that each user must have the
\fBPLOTICUS_PREFABS\fR environment variable set and exported.
It must contain the full pathname of the directory where
ploticus prefabs reside, as included in the download.  
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
Be sure you know which version you are executing
(you might have earlier ploticus versions on your system and not realize it).
Use \fCpl -version\fR to print the ploticus
version; use the unix command \fCwhich pl\fR to print the file that you
are actually executing when you type \fCpl\fR.
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
Unix builds do not read native PC text files.  This problem occurs
if pl is compiled on a unix machine and you feed it native PC text files, 
either as scripts or data files.  
Symptoms may include truncated multi-line text
items, or garbage characters appearing at the end of text items.  
.br
.br
.IP \(bu
If an image result contains blank areas at the top or side, it is probably because
the image is larger than 8" x 8" in one or both dimensions.  To generate images larger than 
8" x 8" a sufficient \fBpagesize\fR must be specified, either on the command line or via 
proc page.  

.ig >>
<br><br><br>
.>>


.SH BUG REPORTS
Much of the incremental improvement in this package has been due to
the careful bug reports that have been sent in by attentive users.  Thanks!
Bug reports should be sent to \fC 
.ig >>
 <a href="mailto:scg@jax.org">scg@jax.org</a> 
.>>
\fR..  If reporting a problem, please:
.IP \(bu
Check the 
.ig >>
<a href="../doc/Versions.html">
.>>
release notes
.ig >>
</a>
.>>
first, where known bugs are listed.
.IP \(bu
Indicate the environment where you invoked pl (eg. linux, solaris, windows/NT, etc.)
.IP \(bu
Supply your \fC pl \fR version number (type \fC pl -version \fR to find out).
.IP \(bu
Describe how you invoke \fCpl\fR (eg. from the command line, via PHP system(), etc.)
If you are using a ploticus config file please attach it.
.IP \(bu
A self-contained example that demonstrates the problem is usually very helpful.

.ig >>
<br>
<br>
</td></tr>
<td align=right>
<a href="Welcome.html">
<img src="../doc/ploticus.gif" border=0></a><br><small>data display engine &nbsp; <br>
<a href="../doc/Copyright.html">Copyright Steve Grubb</a>
<br>
<br>
<center>
<img src="../gallery/all.gif">
</center>
</td></tr>
</table>
.>>
