Add tektronix/xterm/gnuplot post.

[blog.git] / posts / Tektronix_emulation_and_Gnuplot.mdwn

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+I just discovered that [gnuplot][] has an `xterm` terminal output mode
+which uses [xterm][]'s tektronix emulator ([since gnuplot
+4.2.6][release]).  This is useful if you have logged into a remote
+machine and want to plot something, but you didn't have the foresight
+to use `ssh -Y` to bring along a connection to your X server.  I used to use
+
+    gnuplot> set term dumb
+
+but often the low resolution available with standard terminal
+characters left the resulting output almost unintelligible.  With
+
+    gnuplot> set term xterm
+
+your `xterm` will pop up a new window in tektronix mode, in which you
+get very nice monochrome graphics.
+
+Besides the “forgot to tunnel X” use case outlined above, this output
+would also be useful if you wanted to avoid exposing yourself to [[X
+vulnerabilies|X_hacks]] while logging into an untrusted machine.
+
+Obviously, you'll have to be running `xterm` for any of this to work ;).
+
+[gnuplot]: http://www.gnuplot.info/
+[xterm]: http://invisible-island.net/xterm/
+[release]: http://www.gnuplot.info/announce.4.2.6
+
+[[!tag tags/fun]]
+[[!tag tags/linux]]