Gretl Manual: Gnu Regression, Econometrics and Time-series Library
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# Installing the programs

## Linux

On the Linux[1] platform you have the choice of compiling the `gretl` code yourself or making use of a pre-built package. Ready-to-run packages are available in `rpm` format (suitable for Red Hat Linux and related systems) and also `deb` format (Debian GNU/Linux). I am grateful to Dirk Eddelbüttel for making the latter. If you prefer to compile your own (or are using a unix system for which pre-built packages are not available) here is what to do.

1. Download the latest `gretl` source package from gretl.sourceforge.net.

2. Unzip and untar the package. On a system with the GNU utilities available, the command would be `tar -xvfz gretl-N.tar.gz` (replace `N` with the specific version number of the file you downloaded at step 1).

3. Change directory to the gretl source directory created at step 2 (e.g. `gretl-1.1.5`).

4. The basic routine is then

       	      ./configure
       	      make
       	      make check
       	      make install

   However, you should probably read the `INSTALL` file first, and/or do `./configure --help` first to see what options are available. One option you way wish to tweak is `--prefix`. By default the installation goes under `/usr/local` but you can change this. For example `./configure --prefix=/usr` will put everything under the `/usr` tree. In the event that a required library is not found on your system, so that the configure process fails, please take a look at Appendix B of this manual.

As of version 0.97 `gretl` offers support for the `gnome` desktop. To take advantage of this you should compile the program yourself (as described above). If you want to suppress the `gnome`-specific features you can pass the option `--without-gnome` to `configure`.

## MS Windows

The MS Windows version comes as a self-extracting executable. Installation is just a matter of downloading `gretl_install.exe` and running this program. You will be prompted for a location to install the package (the default is `c:\userdata\gretl`).

## Updating

If your computer is connected to the Internet, then on start-up `gretl` can query its home website at Wake Forest University to see if any program updates are available; if so, a window will open up informing you of that fact. If you want to activate this feature, check the box marked "Tell me about gretl updates" under `gretl`'s "File, Preferences, General" menu.

The MS Windows version of the program goes a step further: it tells you that you can update `gretl` automatically if you wish. To do this, follow the instructions in the popup window: close `gretl` then run the program titled "gretl updater" (you should find this along with the main `gretl` program item, under the Programs heading in the Windows Start menu). Once the updater has completed its work you may restart `gretl`.

### Notes

[1] | Terminology is a bit of a problem here, but in this manual I will use "Linux" as shorthand to refer to the GNU/Linux operating system. What is said herein about Linux mostly applies to other unix-type systems too, though some local modifications may be needed.

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