---
layout: post
title:  "GNU Octave 6.3.0 Released"
date:   2021-07-11
categories: news release
---

Octave Version 6.3.0 has been released and is now available for [download][1].
An official [Windows binary installer][2] is also available.
For [macOS][3] see the installation instructions in the wiki.

This version is a bug fixing release:

## Important notice

- This bug fix release breaks ABI compatibility with Octave 6.2.0. Re-build
  binaries (like `.oct` or `.mex` files) when updating to this version.

## Improvements and fixes

- `ls-hdf5.cc`: Avoid throwing inside HDF5 function ([bug #60081](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60081)).
- `ls-hdf5.cc`: Handle non-zero terminated type strings ([bug #60081](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60081)).
- Fix occasional segfault in `symbfact` ([bug #60101](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60101)).
- `fsolve.m`: Fix undefined output error when using `Output` function ([bug #60144](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60144)).
- Avoid ambiguous call to `pow` ([bug #60169](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60169)).
- Fix context link when creating handle to nested function.
- `print.m`: Warn when figure is too large to be printed to output page ([bug #60236](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60236)).
- Defer clearing function vars until stack frame is deleted ([bug #60137](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60137)).
- Avoid memory leaks when returning handles to nested functions.
- Hold references to closure frames in anon functions if needed ([bug #60237](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60237)).
- `eigs`: Prevent possible segmentation fault at exit ([bug #60311](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60311)).
- Issue warning when gnuplot graphics toolkit is initialized.
- `mpoles.m`: Fix detection of pole multiplicity ([bug #60384](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60384)).
- Perform shutdown actions in interpreter destructor ([bug #60334](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60334)).
- `qz.cc`: Return correct number of eigenvalues ([bug #60357](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60357)).
- `qz.cc`: Let test pass with LAPACK 3.9.1 and earlier versions ([bug #60357](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60357)).
- `pkg.m`: Use default prefixes unless otherwise set previously ([bug #60472](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60472)).
- `betaincinv.m`: Correctly handle small inputs ([bug #60528](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60528)).
- `betaincinv.m`: Correctly handle inputs very close to 1.0 ([bug #60528](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60528)).
- `unistd-wrappers.c`: Allocate sufficient memory for `new_argv` ([bug #60535](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60535)).
- Mark system functions correctly if `OCTAVE_HOME` is non-canonical ([bug #60554](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60554)).
- Mark compiled system functions correctly if `OCTAVE_HOME` is non-canonical ([bug #60554](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60554)).
- Return proper number of stack frames for `dbstack (N)` call ([bug #60531](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60531)).
- Avoid ambiguous match of overloaded function ([bug #60531](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60531)).
- `print`: Fix error when `"px"` word is present in a figure ([bug #60641](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60641)).
- `logm.m`: Fix check for real negative values in complex vector ([bug #60738](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60738)).
- `hist.m`: Improve handling and docstring for third parameter "norm" ([bug #60783](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60783)).
- `logm.m`: Allow tolerance in check for real negative values in complex vector ([bug #60738](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60738)).
- `expm.m`, `logm.m`: Use function `isdiag` to detect if input is a diagonal matrix ([bug #60738](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60738)).
- Fix scoping issue for handles to sibling nested functions ([bug #60845](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60845)).
- `ls-mat5.cc`: Avoid integer overflow in calculation of buffer size for zlib ([bug #55427](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?55427)).
- Avoid crash with `dbquit` when executing command in terminal from GUI ([bug #60813](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60813)).

## GUI

- Fix calling external editor ([bug #60198](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60198)).
- Fix missing file suffix `.m` when saving a new script ([bug #60214](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60214)).
- Do not run files that are not saved as Octave files ([bug #60214](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60214)).
- Fix confirm overwrite for native editor file "save as" dialogs ([bug #60214](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60214)).
- Fix crash when GUI tries to restore missing previous Octave dir ([bug #60255](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60255)).
- Fix restoring the horizontal position of docked GUI widgets ([bug #59426](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?59426)).
- Prevent floating widgets from re-opening after restart ([bug #60279](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60279)).
- Avoid crash in GUI for `rmdir("")` ([bug #60473](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60473)).
- Fix EOL mode when saving files under new names ([bug #60585](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60585)).
- Fix auto indentation of switch-structure in GUI editor ([bug #60649](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60649)).
- Avoid crash when closing GUI with open editor tabs ([bug #60500](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60500)).
- `octave-qscintilla.cc` (`contextmenu_run`): Fix keyboard command handling.

## Build system / Tests

- build: Check for `stropts.h` ([bug #60163](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60163)).
- build: Make relocation of dependencies with Octave optional ([bug #60413](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60413)).
- build: Set necessary flags to allow execution on Windows Vista ([bug #60746](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60746)).
- build: Use correct path to `octave` binary in build tree on macOS.
- build: Fix typo in folder to libraries when building `.oct` or `.mex` files.
- build: Set `DL_LDFLAGS` in the build rules for `.oct` or `.mex` files.
- Declare base_parser destructor virtual.
- Move top-level REPL from interpreter to evaluator.
- Fix compilation error with `iconv_t` on Solaris ([bug #60162](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60162)).
- `lo-array-errwarn.cc`: Include `<limits>` ([bug #60470](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60470)).
- Use `std::size_t` and `std::ptrdiff_t` in C++ code ([bug #60471](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60471)).
- Use `std::size_t` in more instances ([bug #60471](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60471)).
- Fix error if test suite is run before Octave is installed ([bug #60554](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60554)).
- tests: Relax tolerance for some tests on macOS.
- `logspace.m`: Mark tests as known to fail on macOS ([bug #55538](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?55538)).
- `hist.m`: Use deterministic test ([bug #60783](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60783)).
- `rgb2ind.m`: Reduce memory usage and eliminate randomness in test.
- `logm.m`: Allow larger tolerance for test on macOS.
- `rgb2ind.m`: Suppress output in test.
- `lscov.m`: Relax BIST tolerance to pass with OpenBLAS ([bug #60552](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60552)).


## Documentation

- Improve documentation for `log2` function ([bug #60817](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60817)).
- `ind2sub`: Fix typo in "see also" section of docstring ([bug #60842](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60842)).
- `mrdivide`, `mldivide`: Document that functions might return minimum norm solutions ([bug #60839](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60839)).
- Improve Differential Equations chapter and example for lsode ([bug #57508](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?57508)).
- Clarify usage of "Depends" keyword in package `DESCRIPTION` file ([bug #60053](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60053)).
- Add note that wildcard patterns for `save` are glob patterns ([bug #60157](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60157)).
- Change example for Delaunay triangulation to match the generating code ([bug #60216](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60216)).
- Document single precision issues with OpenGL graphics toolkits ([bug #59418](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?59418)).
- Minor changes to documentation of single precision issues with OpenGL ([bug #59418](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?59418)).
- Expand on documentation for command syntax ([bug #60084](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60084)).
- `isprop.m`: Document that function only works on graphics objects in Octave 6.X ([bug #60295](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60295)).
- Explain how to write dual-purpose executable scripts and Octave functions ([bug #60291](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60291)).
- Update keyword docstrings ([bug #60275](https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/?60275)).
- Use Texinfo commands to improve `transpose()` docstring rendering.
- `betainc.m`, `betaincinv.m`: Correct non-TeX definition of beta incomplete integral.
- Grammarcheck documentation ahead of 6.3 release.
- Spellcheck documentation ahead of 6.3 release.

 [1]: {{ "download.html" | absolute_url }}
 [2]: https://ftpmirror.gnu.org/octave/windows
 [3]: {{ site.wiki_url }}/Octave_for_macOS