GMT Incompatibilities Notes


1-JUL-2018: GMT Version 4.5.18 Released

4.5.18 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.17. For a list of bug fixes, see the RELEASES page.

1-JAN-2018: GMT Version 4.5.17 Released

4.5.17 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.16. For a list of bug fixes, see the RELEASES page.

25-JUN-2017: GMT Version 4.5.16 Released

4.5.16 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.15. For a list of bug fixes, see the RELEASES page.

1-OCT-2016: GMT Version 4.5.15 Released

4.5.15 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.14. For a list of bug fixes, see the RELEASES page.

1-NOV-2015: GMT Version 4.5.14 Released

4.5.14 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.13. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-JAN-2015: GMT Version 4.5.13 Released

4.5.13 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.12. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-MAR-2014: GMT Version 4.5.12 Released

4.5.12 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.11, except for one small issue: The grdmath operator SDIST now returns distances in km instead of spherical degrees (we added convenience operators KM2DEG and DEG2KM to help with the conversions). For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

5-NOV-2013: GMT Version 4.5.11 Released

4.5.11 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.9. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page. Note: 4.5.10 had a technical error and required us moving to 4.5.11.

1-JAN-2013: GMT Version 4.5.9 Released

4.5.9 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.8. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-APR-2012: GMT Version 4.5.8 Released

4.5.8 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.7. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

15-JUL-2011: GMT Version 4.5.7 Released

4.5.7 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.6. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

10-MAR-2011: GMT Version 4.5.6 Released

4.5.6 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.5. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-NOV-2010: GMT Version 4.5.5 Released

4.5.5 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.3. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

15-JUL-2010: GMT Version 4.5.3 Released

4.5.3 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.2. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

15-JAN-2010: GMT Version 4.5.2 Released

4.5.2 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.1. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

20-SEPT-2009: GMT Version 4.5.1 Released

4.5.1 scripts should be fully backward compatible with 4.5.0. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

15-JUL-2009: GMT Version 4.5.0 Released

4.5.0 scripts are for the most part fully backward compatible with 4.4.0. One exception is the modifier :radius[unit] to the -G option in grdcontour for the placement of contour labels. This is now +rradius[unit] since the colon interfered poorly with ddd:mm:ss coordinates. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

15-FEB-2009: GMT Version 4.4.0 Released

4.4.0 scripts are for the most part fully backward compatible with 4.3.1. One exception is the map scale option -L in psbasemap and pscoast which had difficulties parsing ddd:mm:ss coordinates in the presence of the optional :label: modifier. Also, we have now made -180/+180 the default annotation range for geographic maps (it used to be 0-360). You can change this by editing the PLOT_DEGREE_FORMAT setting. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

15-MAY-2008: GMT Version 4.3.1 Released

4.3.1 scripts are believed to be fully backward compatible with 4.3.0. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-MAY-2008: GMT Version 4.3.0 Released

4.3.0 scripts are believed to be fully backward compatible with 4.2.1. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-OCT-2007: GMT Version 4.2.1 Released

4.2.1 scripts are believed to be fully backward compatible with 4.2.0. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-APR-2007: GMT Version 4.2.0 Released

4.2.0 scripts are believed to be fully backward compatible with 4.1.4. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-NOV-2006: GMT Version 4.1.4 Released

4.1.4 scripts are fully backward compatible with 4.1.3. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

1-JUN-2006: GMT Version 4.1.3 Released

4.1.3 scripts are fully backward compatible with 4.1.2. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

10-MAY-2006: GMT Version 4.1.2 Released

4.1.2 scripts are fully backward compatible with 4.1.1. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

01-MAR-2006: GMT Version 4.1.1 Released

4.1.1 scripts are fully backward compatible with 4.1. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

01-JAN-2006: GMT Version 4.1 Released

4.1 scripts are fully backward compatible with 4.0. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

01-OCT-2004: GMT Version 4.0 Released

4.0 scripts are fully backward compatible with 3.4.5. All bug fixes in GMT 3.4.5 have been applied to GMT 4.0. For a list of all the new capabilities and enhancements, see the RELEASES page.

01-OCT-2004: GMT Version 3.4.5 Released

3.4.5 scripts are fully backward compatible with 3.4.4. No new capabilities have been introduced, just bug fixes.

07-JAN-2004: GMT Version 3.4.4 Released

3.4.4 scripts are fully backward compatible with 3.4.3. No new capabilities have been introduced, just bug fixes.

01-MAY-2003: GMT Version 3.4.3 Released

3.4.3 scripts are fully backward compatible with 3.4.2. No new capabilities have been introduced, just bug fixes.

02-OCT-2002: GMT Version 3.4.2 Released

3.4.2 scripts are fully backward compatible with 3.4.1. No new capabilities have been introduced, just bug fixes.

01-MAR-2002: GMT Version 3.4.1 Released

3.4.1 scripts are fully backward compatible with 3.4. No new capabilities have been introduced, just bug fixes.

18-APR-2001: GMT Version 3.4 Released

3.4 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3.6 except for one minor feature: Because we have extended the number of possible DEGREE_FORMAT options to 12, users must now add 100 (not 10 as before) to choose the big degree symbol. As most users are hardly aware of that option it should not cause much uproar(?).

17-OCT-2000: GMT Version 3.3.6 Released

3.3.6 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3.5

21-JUL-2000: GMT Version 3.3.5 Released


3.3.5 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3.4, with the following potential exceptions:


20-MAR-2000: GMT Version 3.3.4 Released


3.3.4 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3.3


03-DEC-1999: GMT Version 3.3.3 Released


3.3.3 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3.2


24-SEPT-1999: GMT Version 3.3.2 Released


3.3.2 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3.1


01-JULY-1999: GMT Version 3.3.1 Released


3.3.1 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.3


09-JUNE-1999: GMT Version 3.3 Released


Going from GMT version 3.2 to 3.3 there were several minor syntax changes that renders GMT 3.3 slightly incompatible with 3.2. The following is a list of known incompatibilies (please report others if you find any; we may have missed some):

  1. grdproject.c: The -F option now toggles the node registration of the output file. This change was necessary since the old version would write out a node-registred grid regardless what the input grid was, unless -F was set. The new policy will use the same registration as the input unless -F is set.

19-MAR-1999: GMT Version 3.2 Released


Going from GMT version 3.1 to 3.2 there were several minor syntax changes that renders GMT 3.2 slightly imcompatible with 3.1. The following is a list of known incompatibilies (please report others if you find any; we may have missed some):

  1. makecpt.c: Due to the much more flexible version in 3.2 (with many choices of different cpt master tables there are several changes. The old options -C, -M, -S have been replaced by -Tz0/z1/dz. and -I (reversing the colors) have been added.
  2. pslib.c: This change only affects programmers that link their own code with -lpsl. The arguments to ps_plotinit has changed so that instead of passing paper_width as a double we pass a 2-element integer array with paper width and height in points. See the pslib man page for details.

25-NOV-1998: GMT Version 3.1.1 Released


3.1.1 scripts should be backward compatible with 3.1


08-NOV-1998: GMT Version 3.1 Released


Going from GMT version 3.0 to 3.1 there were several minor syntax changes that renders GMT 3.1 slightly imcompatible with 3.0. The following is a list of known incompatibilies:

  1. grdclip.c: -A and -B have been replaced by -Sa and -Sb; the -B interferred with the usual meaning of -B.
  2. grdpaste.c: Same problem; introduced -Sa and -Sb.
  3. grdview.c: -D no longer an option; -M and -W follow grdcontour syntax and are set by -Wc and -Wm instead.
  4. nearneighbor.c: -M is replaced by -Sradius[k] as in psmask.
  5. psmask.c: -S and -C have reversed roles to match psclip; -M is replaced by -Sradius[k] as in nearneighbor.
  6. project.c: -M becomes the multisegment flag as usual; old -M is replaced by -Q.
  7. psclip.c: -S becomes -C, and -O must now explicitly be set.
  8. psxy[z].c: -L only needed to close polygons; -W[pen] determines symbol outlines.
  9. No programs have the old option -F to change the color of the map frame. This is now done via gmtset BASEMAP_FRAME_RGB r/g/b.
  10. -GP|p now takes pattern dpi, not building block size. A dpi setting of 0 still gives the resolution implied by DOTS_PR_INCH.
  11. psscale now uses the machinery of the common -B option for anotations. This means that the x-label goes beneath the scale and the y-label can be used as a unit label. The title string :.title: is no longer used.
  12. grd2xyz.c and xyz2grd.c. Please note that -Z and -b are incompatible and are NOT to be used at the same time (your i/o cannot both have 1 and 3 columns...).
  13. pscoast.c. -A changed from -A/ (with implicitly set to 0) to -A//. If you used -A to exclude higher levels you need to explicitly include the 0 for min_level
In addition, there are changes that ARE backward compatible but you are encouraged to change your script to follow the new syntax:
  1. sample1d.c: Old options -A, -C, -L are now set via -Fa, -Fc, -Fl, but the old options are still silently recognized. As these may go away in the future we suggest you adopt to the new order.