Metagraf — Metapost GUI

[Cicorione]

Hello guys,

Happy (post) Thanksgiving if you live in North America below the Canada... 🦃

I have great new, at least is great for me... 😁

I found this ancient Java GUI application called Metagraf and I was able to run it. I had to jump through a bunch of hoops but it is pretty easy, remarkably there is not need to use a virtual machine.

Metagraf is a GUI application to draw and export in MetaPost:

This method "works" for Linux, MacOS and Windows (last two untested); the only annoying part is that you must create an Oracle account in order to download the right Java Runtime.

The following instructions are based on Debian Bookwork/Devuan Daedalus:

1. Go to this page: https://www.oracle.com/java/technologies/javase-java-archive-javase6-downloads.html — and download: jdk-6u45-linux-x64.bin if you are on Debian/Ubuntu amd64.
2. Put the binary wherever you like, make it executable and expand it with: ./jdk-6u45-linux-x64.bin
3. Download Metagraf-5 for Unix (Linux) from the old website, and extract wherever you prefer.
4. Inside the Metagraf-5 folder download the version 6 from the same website, it is called: [mg6_unix.jar](http://w3.mecanica.upm.es/metapost/mg6_unix.jar
5. Rename mg6_unix.jar in mg5.jar; e.g.: mv mg6_unix mg5.jar & chmod +x mg5.jar
6. Now it is important to run the Java binary into the original folder, e.g.:

../jre1.6.0_45/bin/./java -jar mg5.jar

7. Enjoy it!

Left to do

• I'd like to replace official Oracle Java Runtime with OpenJDK
• Learn how it works
• Perhaps making an appimage Linux bundle
• Write an introductory post on how to use it and how to export in MetaPost

Thanks! 🙏

[Cicorione]

Small tip for Linux/Debian users...

Create a simlink of the Java 6 binary into the folder where is located the mg5.jar file, then:

nano ~/.local/applications/metagraf.desktop

and copy & paste:

[Desktop Entry]
Name=Metagraf
Comment=A GUI Java editor for Metapost
Path=/home/YOUR-USER/YOUR-LOCATION/Mg5-01/
Exec=./java -jar mg5.jar
Icon=/home/YOUR-USER/YOUR-LOCATION/Mg5-01/mg3icon.png
Terminal=false
Type=Application
MimeType=application/mpost=metagraf.desktop
Categories=Graphics;

[Cicorione]

This application is pretty buggy so far I found only issues that actual benefits... 😓