GMT 5.4.4 Append not working in Linux

Q&A
1

I’m new GMTuser. Running gmt in CentOS Linux

I’m following the tutorial for GMT5.4.4
Tutorial Link
I prepared the script with this command from the tutorial.

gmt psxy @y.txt -R0/6/0/6 -Jx1i -Baf -P -K -Wthinner > y.ps
gmt psxy y.txt -R -J -O -W -Si0.2i >> y.ps

y.txt is below
1 1
2 3
2 5
3 2
4 4
5 2

I keep on getting two files with same name but the other has question mark in the end
y.ps
y.ps?

image

both the files didn’t show the expected result.
but when I run the command per line it’s working. But whenever I try to append new command to the existing figure I get a file with a question mark at the end.

I would like to make multiple lines of command but 2lines of command is not working in my environment, I can’t figure out
do you have an idea how to solve this?

2

Hi EQlab!! Welcome to the GMT forum.

I don’t anything weird in your commands. Maybe the @ in @y.txt.

What GMT version are you using? The latest version is 6.2. If you can, I would suggest you to use 6.2 and use the modern syntax, If is much simpler.
https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/tutorial.html

3

Hi! Thank you for your reply. I am using a laboratory server with newly installed gmt5.4.4 version. I don’t have access to the installation option on the server. But I will consider that if I cant find a solution

Thank you for your help

4

You are welcome. I suspect an issue server. If I were you, I will try to find the way to upgrade GMT. If you want to learn GMT, it is not good to learn and old version (5.4.4 is from sep-2018). Maybe you can try it online?

5

Not that it’s a “good” workaround, but you likely can use your own install on the server with conda (or miniconda).

conda create -n gmt
source activate gmt
conda install gmt=5.4.4 --channel conda-forge

assuming you actually have conda…

6

Are you writing a file with the set of GMT commands and trying to run that? How are you running it?

7

The questionmark etc makes we wonder if you are using a rich-text editor to make those script and run them. Such files will have formatting hidden characters and that would explain the troubles.

8

yes. I write the commands in a notepad using Windows PC, then saved it with a .sh file format. Then, transfer the file to the server and run it in server terminal using “bash 1.sh”.

9

Thank you! This might be the issue. I used the built-in notepad on Windows PC, I also try Notepad++ to prepare the .sh file. What program should I use to prepare the .sh file?

10

NotePad++ might work, or Visual STudio Code.

11

Thank you Sir. I’m using Notepad++ now. I will try the Visual Studio Code. Thank you again! It really helps to have this forum

12

I have not used Windows PC editors much, but it is always safer to write Linux scripts using a Linux editor such as “vi” to avoid any special characters being included. On the Mac, there is usually an option to “save as plain text” that removes most special formatting.

13

Issue is solved. I used Sakura Editor to prepare scripts and textfiles. Thank you all for your help!!