Install GNU Scientific library (GSL) on Ubuntu 14.04 via terminal

Question

I am trying to install GSL libraries on Ubuntu 14.04 via terminal. I searched on Google but I couldn't find any command which can install it from the terminal but just through the Ubuntu software center. How can it be installed via terminal?

Solution 1

The GSL source package provides the following binary packages:

• gsl-bin: GNU Scientific Library (GSL) -- binary package
• libgsl0-dbg: GNU Scientific Library (GSL) -- debug symbols package
• libgsl0-dev: GNU Scientific Library (GSL) -- development package
• libgsl0ldbl: GNU Scientific Library (GSL) -- library package

To install the library package, open a Terminal and type:

sudo apt-get install libgsl0ldbl

Solution 2

The packages for GSL can be found here
You can install just the library by using: apt-get install libgsl0ldbl

You can also install the development package and binary using: apt-get install gsl-bin libgsl0-dev

The resources/docs can also be installed using: apt-get install gsl-doc-info gsl-doc-pdf gsl-ref-html gsl-ref-psdoc

*depending on your setup you may need to use sudo before the apt-get command

Comments

[becko]

What's the difference between the different packages? Should I install gsl-bin or libgsl0ldbl?

[Sylvain Pineau]

@becko: It depends on your needs, install gsl-bin as it will install both (gsl-bin depends on libgsl0ldbl)

[Hosam.Yousof]

@becko it really depends on your needs. If you only install/run some programs that requires gsl, then libgsl0ldbl should suffice. If you develop/compile some other program that requires gsl, libgsl0-dev could be required.

[becko]

@HongboZhu And what about gsl-bin?

[Hosam.Yousof]

@becko gsl-bin contains pre-compiled binaries , which also uses the library libgsl0ldbl. The shared library is combined with the binary if it is only needed by the binary. Otherwise they are separated (as in this case). It is very likely that the gsl routines compiled in gsl-bin are required. So why not start with sudo apt-get install gsl-bin