The KnotPlot Software Distribution

This CD-ROM includes a complete distribution of KnotPlot, both the executables and all the support files KnotPlot needs to run happily (I sometimes call this set of files without the executable the distribution).

Executable

Five computer architectures are currently supported, and can be found in five separate sub-directories from where this web-page is located. These five are described briefly below, along with some issues pertaining to that version. NOTE: You should not click on the following links to the executables, rather use "Save Target as..." (Internet Explorer) or "Save Link As..." (Netscape) in your browser to save the executable to a suitable location on your computer (warning: Netscape insists on adding an "htm" extension to the IRIX, Sun, and Linux versions, you'll probably want to remove that extension).

IRIX6 (Silicon Graphics): Compressed (GZIP) executable is in irix6/knotplot.gz. This is a completely working version of KnotPlot. KnotPlot was originally available only for SGI machines.
SunOS/Solaris: Compressed (GZIP) executable is sun4/knotplot.gz. This version, also, should be completely functional
Linux: Compressed (GZIP) executable is linux/knotplot.gz. This version, also, should be completely functional
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000: ZIPped executable is in win32/knotplot.zip. The Windows version should be mostly complete, this is the version I use most of the time now. Some things might be missing, and there might be some trouble if the directory C:\Windows\Temp doesn't exist. If you find things not working, try to get a newer version from the web.
Macintosh: Executable is in a Stuff-It file, mac/KnotPlotExecutable.sit.hqx, which needs to be unstuffed to create the executable. Of all the versions, this is the least completely ported. Many things are not yet supported on the Mac version. The following commands are not yet available: braid, homfly, alexander, psout, among others. The situation will improve with time, and once Mac OSX comes out, everything will be fine.

Support files (the distribution)

There is one more sub-directory included on the CD-ROM other than the above five. This is the KnotPlot home directory. The KnotPlot home contains seven sub-directories: basic, benchmarks, demos, projects, resource, special, and unknots. Copy the KnotPlot home to a suitable location on your computer and make sure the executable knows about the location when it starts up On all architectures except the Mac, this can be done by specifying a KNOTPLOT_HOME environment variable. An alternative is to simply put the executable in the KnotPlot home directory (along with basic, demos and friends) and run it from that directory.

See also the README_ALL page pertaining to all versions of KnotPlot. For IRIX, Sun, and Linux, read the README_UNIX page and for Windows 95/98/NT/2000 the REAME_Win32 page.

More information on what's in the distribution can be found as part of the KnotPlot manual (see below for an important caveat).

Getting started

I recently gave some KnotPlot workshops at a conference. The handouts I prepared for the workshops are good places to start learning about KnotPlot.

Main handout, briefly describing the most important features of the KnotPlot user interface.
Exercise 1: Knot Families
Exercise 2: Braids
Exercise 3: Warping along a knot
Exercise 4: Knot symmetries
Exercise 5: Stick knots

After you're done with these, you can take a look at the KnotPlot manual. It is included in two versions, a HTML version for online viewing and a PDF version for printing out. You are warned that these manuals are seriously out of date! And they describe an obsolete version of KnotPlot (when it existed only on SGI). Newer versions will appear off the KnotPlot web site eventually.

A few words

It can't be stressed enough that KnotPlot is experimental software that has not been used very much by anybody other than myself. It is a rapidly changing program, and should get much more usable over the next few months. If you have internet access, it is worth your time to frequently check the KnotPlot download site for newer versions. Instructions how to get to that web site are on the main KnotPlot page.

Finally, I hope you enjoy KnotPlot!

Rob Scharein (May 19th, 2000)

Go to the KnotPlot Site.