Install feedgnuplot with Homebrew, apt, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• feedgnuplot

Project history

The repository was created in 2009, and the README describes feedgnuplot as a flexible frontend to gnuplot for data from standard input or command-line files. Its examples show both stored-data plots and real-time plots such as network throughput sampled from /proc/net/dev.

The changelog shows steady evolution through the 2010s: better streaming plot control, the rename from feedGnuplot to feedgnuplot, shell completions, generic terminal support, histograms, time-format support, test coverage, Debian packaging cleanup, style controls, rangesize support, and later vnlog integration.

The 2020s releases continued to refine plotting behavior instead of turning the program into a full plotting environment. Changes include four-axis support, using expressions, color-bar labels, better hardcopy behavior, and ongoing fixes through the 1.64 release.

Adoption history

The changelog notes that by version 1.27 the sample Debian packaging was removed because the program was in Debian proper. The supplied package facts now show Homebrew, Debian, Nix, and Ubuntu packages, which matches its niche: a small utility valued by users who already live in shells and gnuplot.

feedgnuplot also has a public talk history: the README links to a SCaLE 17x talk about feedgnuplot and vnlog. That is not mass-market adoption, but it is a strong signal of usage in the data-plumbing and command-line visualization community.

How it is used

The common pattern is to pipe generated or sampled tabular data into feedgnuplot and add flags for lines, points, streaming windows, labels, time parsing, hardcopy output, or arbitrary gnuplot commands. The tool handles the temporary gnuplot conversation so the user can stay in the shell.

It supports plain sequential data, explicit domains, curve IDs, vnlog headers, multi-value tuples for gnuplot styles, 3D data, time/date x domains, and passthrough options for advanced gnuplot commands. That makes it small but not toy-like: it is a bridge from quick shell data to real gnuplot capability.

Why package nerds care

feedgnuplot is a classic Unix glue package. gnuplot is powerful but script-heavy; feedgnuplot makes the 80 percent case fit naturally after awk, seq, sar, grep, or a custom program writing numbers.

Package nerds care because it embodies a packaging sweet spot: one executable, minimal UI, good manpage-style docs, shell completions, and enough flags to stay useful for years without replacing the underlying engine.

Timeline

• 2009: GitHub repository created.
• 2011: Main script renamed from feedGnuplot to feedgnuplot.
• 2013: Changelog notes feedgnuplot was in Debian proper.
• 2018: vnlog integration added.
• 2026: feedgnuplot 1.64 released.

Related projects

• gnuplot is the plotting engine feedgnuplot drives.
• vnlog is a related Dima Kogan data-log format that feedgnuplot can interpret.
• Shell tools such as awk, seq, and sar are common data producers in feedgnuplot examples.

Sources

• https://github.com/dkogan/feedgnuplot
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dkogan/feedgnuplot/master/README.pod
• https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dkogan/feedgnuplot/master/Changes
• https://github.com/dkogan/feedgnuplot/blob/master/guide/guide.org
• https://api.github.com/repos/dkogan/feedgnuplot
• https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/feedgnuplot