Octave: mkoctfile not found when trying to install toolboxes

Question

Downloaded packages from http://sourceforge.net/projects/octave/files/Octave%20Forge%20Packages/

then from Octave... 

pkg install statistics-1.2.2.tar.gz
statistics needs io >= 1.0.18

pkg install io-1.2.5.tar.gz
lots of errors(mkoctfile not found)

---

octave:2> ver
----------------------------------------------------------------------
GNU Octave Version 3.6.4
GNU Octave License: GNU General Public License
Operating System: Linux 3.2.0-57-generic-pae #87-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 21:57:43 UTC 2013 i686
----------------------------------------------------------------------
no packages installed.
octave:7> pkg install statistics-1.2.2.tar.gz
error: the following dependencies where unsatisfied:
   statistics needs io >= 1.0.18
octave:7> pkg install io-1.2.5.tar.gz
make: mkoctfile: Command not found
make: *** [csvexplode.oct] Error 127
'make' returned the following error: make: Entering directory `/tmp/oct-JWSn8i/io/src'
mkoctfile csvexplode.cc
make: Leaving directory `/tmp/oct-JWSn8i/io/src'
error: called from 'pkg>configure_make' in file /usr/share/octave/3.6.4/m/pkg/pkg.m near line 1391, column 9
error: called from:
error:   /usr/share/octave/3.6.4/m/pkg/pkg.m at line 834, column 5
error:   /usr/share/octave/3.6.4/m/pkg/pkg.m at line 383, column 9

Note:
"sudo apt-get install octave-pkg-dev" will uninstall my ver of Octave 3.6.4 and install an older version 3.2.4. Any package that I try to install with "sudo apt-get install octave-XXXXX" will do this.

trying:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/194151/how-do-you-install-the-latest-version-of-gnu-octave

http://openems.de/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=52 and the sudo octave to install: http://skramm.blogspot.com/2013/03/octaveubuntu-problems-installing.html

ver:

GNU Octave Version 3.6.4
GNU Octave License: GNU General Public License
Operating System: Linux 3.2.0-57-generic-pae #87-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 21:57:43 UTC 2013 i686
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Package Name  | Version | Installation directory
--------------+---------+-----------------------
          io  |   1.2.5 | /usr/share/octave/packages/io-1.2.5
  statistics  |   1.2.2 | /usr/share/octave/packages/statistics-1.2.2

says statistics 1.2.2 is there now, but the files that should be present(on the list), that I need, are not. ?? ie normplot

Answer 1

The solution to the top half (missing mkoctfile in octave) is to install the octave development package for your distribution. This might be called octave-pkg-dev, liboctave-dev, octave-devel, or something similar (look for *oct*dev* in your distribution's repository).

See Installing octave package in ubuntu for details.