Every major Linux distribution packages gnuplot: Fedora uses sudo dnf install gnuplot, Arch uses sudo pacman -S gnuplot, and openSUSE uses sudo zypper install gnuplot. If your distribution’s package is too old, building the 6.0.5 source tarball takes only a few extra commands.
Fedora
sudo dnf install gnuplotArch Linux
sudo pacman -S gnuplotopenSUSE
sudo zypper install gnuplotUbuntu and Debian
Debian-family systems use apt — the dedicated Ubuntu and Debian guide covers version expectations and the apt route in detail.
Verify Any Package Install
gnuplot --version
gnuplot -e "plot sin(x)"The version command prints your installed release; the second command should open a plot window on desktop systems.
Building 6.0.5 From Source (Any Distribution)
- Download
gnuplot-6.0.5.tar.gzfrom the download page. - Install a compiler toolchain and the development libraries gnuplot builds against (Qt for the interactive terminal, plus common graphics libraries such as libgd and cairo/pango — package names vary by distribution).
- Build and install:
tar -xzf gnuplot-6.0.5.tar.gz cd gnuplot-6.0.5 ./configure make sudo make install - Open a new terminal and run
gnuplot --version— it should reportgnuplot 6.0 patchlevel 5.
Common Pitfalls
- A feature or terminal is missing after a source build:
./configuresilently disables features whose development libraries are absent. Re-read its summary output, install the missing -dev/-devel packages, and rebuild. - Old version still launches: a package build in
/usr/binand a source build in/usr/local/bincan coexist. Check withwhich gnuplot.
Finish with the full installation verification checklist.
Back up your plot scripts and data
Your .gp scripts and data files are small but hard to recreate. Keeping a synced backup means a reinstall never costs you your work. pCloud offers cloud storage with a one-time lifetime option and syncs a scripts folder across machines automatically. Affiliate link — see our Affiliate Disclosure.