This page explains how to install version 5 of the Generic Mapping Tools for plotting geospatial data. There are several ways in which GMT 5 can be installed, and this is my preferred method because it is quick and easy.
Step-by-step guide
GMT 5 can be installed in two steps. Like most software installations, it is assumed that you have an administrator account on your Mac.
Install the Homebrew package manager for Mac OS X by opening Terminal.app, pasting the text below into the window and pressing Enter. If you have previously installed Homebrew, you can skip this step.
/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"
This will install Homebrew. You will be asked during the installation to change the file permissions in the
/usr/localdirectories so that you are the owner of those directories. If you have multiple users that intend to modify files in/usr/localand its subdirectories, you may want to think about whether this is a good idea. For most users, this should cause no trouble.After the Homebrew installation has completed, you can install GMT by typing
brew install homebrew/science/gmt
Homebrew will now install GMT 5 and any missing dependencies. This should take a few minutes.
After you have completed the steps above, you can test that your GMT 5 installation is working properly by typing
gmt pscoast -R-90/-70/0/20 -JM6i -P -Ba -Gchocolate > GMT_example.ps open GMT_example.ps
This should produce a simple map of Central America as a postscript (.ps) file (line 1 above) and then open that map (line 2 above) in Preview.app or the application you have designated as your default viewer for .ps files. If the installation works you should see a map like that below (click to enlarge).
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