mkoctfile(1) User Commands mkoctfile(1)
mkoctfile - Compile dynamic-load modules for GNU Octave
mkoctfile [option]... FILE...
mkoctfile is used to compile C, C++, or Fortran source code in to a
dynamically loadable .oct file for
-h, --help
Print help message.
-Idir Add include directory dir to compile command.
-idirafter dir
Add include directory to second include search path for
compilation after '-I'.
-Ddef Add definition def to compile command.
-llib Add library lib to link command.
-Ldir Add library directory dir to link command.
-M, --depend
Generate dependency files (.d) for C and C++ source files.
-pthread
Add -pthread to link command.
-Rdir Pass -Rdir to link command.
-Wl,option
Pass option to the linker such as -Wl,-rpath=...
-W... Pass flags to the compiler such as -Wa,option.
-c, --compile
Compile, but do not link.
-o file, --output file
Output filename. Default extension is ".oct" (or ".mex" if
--mex is specified) unless linking a stand-alone executable.
-g Enable debugging option for all compilers.
-p VAR, --print VAR
Print configuration variable VAR. There are three categories
of variables:
Octave configuration variables that users may override with
environment variables. These are used in commands that
mkoctfile executes.
ALL_CFLAGS INCLUDEDIR
ALL_CXXFLAGS LAPACK_LIBS
ALL_FFLAGS LDFLAGS
ALL_LDFLAGS LD_STATIC_FLAG
BLAS_LIBS LFLAGS
CC LIBDIR
CFLAGS LIBOCTAVE
CPICFLAG LIBOCTINTERP
CPPFLAGS OCTAVE_LINK_OPTS
CXX OCTINCLUDEDIR
CXXFLAGS OCTAVE_LIBS
CXXLD OCTAVE_LINK_DEPS
CXXPICFLAG OCTLIBDIR
DL_LDFLAGS OCT_LINK_DEPS
F77 OCT_LINK_OPTS
F77_INTEGER8_FLAG RDYNAMIC_FLAG
FFLAGS SPECIAL_MATH_LIB
FPICFLAG XTRA_CFLAGS
INCFLAGS XTRA_CXXFLAGS
Octave configuration variables as above, but currently unused
by mkoctfile.
AR
DEPEND_EXTRA_SED_PATTERN
DEPEND_FLAGS
FFTW3F_LDFLAGS
FFTW3F_LIBS
FFTW3_LDFLAGS
FFTW3_LIBS
FFTW_LIBS
FLIBS
LIBS
RANLIB
READLINE_LIBS
Octave configuration variables that are provided for
informational purposes only. Except for OCTAVE_HOME and
OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME, users may not override these variables.
If OCTAVE_HOME or OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME are set in the environment,
then other variables are adjusted accordingly with OCTAVE_HOME
or OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME substituted for the original value of the
directory specified by the --prefix or --exec-prefix options
that were used when Octave was configured.
API_VERSION LOCALARCHLIBDIR
ARCHLIBDIR LOCALFCNFILEDIR
BINDIR LOCALOCTFILEDIR
CANONICAL_HOST_TYPE LOCALSTARTUPFILEDIR
DATADIR LOCALVERARCHLIBDIR
DATAROOTDIR LOCALVERFCNFILEDIR
DEFAULT_PAGER LOCALVEROCTFILEDIR
EXEEXT MAN1DIR
FCNFILEDIR MAN1EXT
IMAGEDIR MANDIR
INCLUDEDIR OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME
INFODIR OCTAVE_HOME
INFOFILE OCTDATADIR
LIBDIR OCTDOCDIR
LIBEXECDIR OCTFILEDIR
LOCALAPIARCHLIBDIR OCTFONTSDIR
LOCALAPIFCNFILEDIR OCTINCLUDEDIR
LOCALAPIOCTFILEDIR OCTLIBDIR
LOCALAPIPKGDIR STARTUPFILEDIR
VERSION
--link-stand-alone
Link a stand-alone executable file.
--mex Create a MEX file. Set the default output extension to
".mex". Link to liboctmex instead of liboctinterp and
liboctave.
-s, --strip
Strip output file.
-n, --dry-run, --just-print
Print commands, but do not execute them.
-v, --verbose
Echo commands as they are executed.
FILE Compile or link FILE. Recognized file types are:
.c C source
.cc C++ source
.cp C++ source
.cpp C++ source
.CPP C++ source
.cxx C++ source
.c++ C++ source
.C C++ source
.f Fortran source (fixed form)
.F Fortran source (fixed form)
.f90 Fortran source (free form)
.F90 Fortran source (free form)
.o object file
.a library file
John W. Eaton and many others. The list of contributors to the
Octave project may be shown from within octave by executing "doc
Acknowledgements". The list is also available online at <https://
docs.octave.org/latest/Acknowledgements.html>.
GNU Octave April 2026 mkoctfile(1)
NAME
mkoctfile - Compile dynamic-load modules for GNU Octave
SYNOPSIS
mkoctfile [option]... FILE...
DESCRIPTION
mkoctfile is used to compile C, C++, or Fortran source code in to a
dynamically loadable .oct file for
OPTIONS
-h, --help
Print help message.
-Idir Add include directory dir to compile command.
-idirafter dir
Add include directory to second include search path for
compilation after '-I'.
-Ddef Add definition def to compile command.
-llib Add library lib to link command.
-Ldir Add library directory dir to link command.
-M, --depend
Generate dependency files (.d) for C and C++ source files.
-pthread
Add -pthread to link command.
-Rdir Pass -Rdir to link command.
-Wl,option
Pass option to the linker such as -Wl,-rpath=...
-W... Pass flags to the compiler such as -Wa,option.
-c, --compile
Compile, but do not link.
-o file, --output file
Output filename. Default extension is ".oct" (or ".mex" if
--mex is specified) unless linking a stand-alone executable.
-g Enable debugging option for all compilers.
-p VAR, --print VAR
Print configuration variable VAR. There are three categories
of variables:
Octave configuration variables that users may override with
environment variables. These are used in commands that
mkoctfile executes.
ALL_CFLAGS INCLUDEDIR
ALL_CXXFLAGS LAPACK_LIBS
ALL_FFLAGS LDFLAGS
ALL_LDFLAGS LD_STATIC_FLAG
BLAS_LIBS LFLAGS
CC LIBDIR
CFLAGS LIBOCTAVE
CPICFLAG LIBOCTINTERP
CPPFLAGS OCTAVE_LINK_OPTS
CXX OCTINCLUDEDIR
CXXFLAGS OCTAVE_LIBS
CXXLD OCTAVE_LINK_DEPS
CXXPICFLAG OCTLIBDIR
DL_LDFLAGS OCT_LINK_DEPS
F77 OCT_LINK_OPTS
F77_INTEGER8_FLAG RDYNAMIC_FLAG
FFLAGS SPECIAL_MATH_LIB
FPICFLAG XTRA_CFLAGS
INCFLAGS XTRA_CXXFLAGS
Octave configuration variables as above, but currently unused
by mkoctfile.
AR
DEPEND_EXTRA_SED_PATTERN
DEPEND_FLAGS
FFTW3F_LDFLAGS
FFTW3F_LIBS
FFTW3_LDFLAGS
FFTW3_LIBS
FFTW_LIBS
FLIBS
LIBS
RANLIB
READLINE_LIBS
Octave configuration variables that are provided for
informational purposes only. Except for OCTAVE_HOME and
OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME, users may not override these variables.
If OCTAVE_HOME or OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME are set in the environment,
then other variables are adjusted accordingly with OCTAVE_HOME
or OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME substituted for the original value of the
directory specified by the --prefix or --exec-prefix options
that were used when Octave was configured.
API_VERSION LOCALARCHLIBDIR
ARCHLIBDIR LOCALFCNFILEDIR
BINDIR LOCALOCTFILEDIR
CANONICAL_HOST_TYPE LOCALSTARTUPFILEDIR
DATADIR LOCALVERARCHLIBDIR
DATAROOTDIR LOCALVERFCNFILEDIR
DEFAULT_PAGER LOCALVEROCTFILEDIR
EXEEXT MAN1DIR
FCNFILEDIR MAN1EXT
IMAGEDIR MANDIR
INCLUDEDIR OCTAVE_EXEC_HOME
INFODIR OCTAVE_HOME
INFOFILE OCTDATADIR
LIBDIR OCTDOCDIR
LIBEXECDIR OCTFILEDIR
LOCALAPIARCHLIBDIR OCTFONTSDIR
LOCALAPIFCNFILEDIR OCTINCLUDEDIR
LOCALAPIOCTFILEDIR OCTLIBDIR
LOCALAPIPKGDIR STARTUPFILEDIR
VERSION
--link-stand-alone
Link a stand-alone executable file.
--mex Create a MEX file. Set the default output extension to
".mex". Link to liboctmex instead of liboctinterp and
liboctave.
-s, --strip
Strip output file.
-n, --dry-run, --just-print
Print commands, but do not execute them.
-v, --verbose
Echo commands as they are executed.
FILE Compile or link FILE. Recognized file types are:
.c C source
.cc C++ source
.cp C++ source
.cpp C++ source
.CPP C++ source
.cxx C++ source
.c++ C++ source
.C C++ source
.f Fortran source (fixed form)
.F Fortran source (fixed form)
.f90 Fortran source (free form)
.F90 Fortran source (free form)
.o object file
.a library file
AUTHOR
John W. Eaton and many others. The list of contributors to the
Octave project may be shown from within octave by executing "doc
Acknowledgements". The list is also available online at <https://
docs.octave.org/latest/Acknowledgements.html>.
SEE ALSO
GNU Octave April 2026 mkoctfile(1)