--- loncom/cgi/plot.gif	2006/09/06 19:26:07	1.12
+++ loncom/cgi/plot.gif	2020/02/19 18:53:17	1.17
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/usr/bin/perl
 #
-# $Id: plot.gif,v 1.12 2006/09/06 19:26:07 albertel Exp $
+# $Id: plot.gif,v 1.17 2020/02/19 18:53:17 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -47,14 +47,20 @@ if ($output eq '') {
 }
 
 if ($output eq 'gif' || $output eq 'png') {
-    open PLOT, "gnuplot $filename |";
-    print <<"END";
+    if (open(my $plot, "export LANG='en_US.UTF-8'; gnuplot $filename |")) {
+
+        print <<"END";
 Content-type: image/$output
 
 END
-    while ($_=<PLOT>) {
-	print;
+        while (my $line = <$plot>) {
+	    print($line);
+        }
+        close($plot);
+    } else {
+        die "failed to open pipe to run gnuplot\n";        
     }
+
 } elsif ($output eq 'eps') {
     print <<"END";
 Content-type: text/html
@@ -64,8 +70,8 @@ Content-type: text/html
 <h2>Creating eps plot</h2>
 
 END
-    if (! system ("gnuplot $filename")) {
-        print "<h2>An error occured.</h2>\n".
+    if (! system ("export LANG='en_US.UTF-8'; gnuplot $filename")) {
+        print "<h2>An error occurred.</h2>\n".
             "I am not going to tell you about it as I have not bothered ".
             "to figure out how to get you the error text.\n";
     } else {