Octave 4.0.1 octave forge dicom package fatal error on install openSUSE linux - linux

Question

I am using:
linux openSUSE Tumbleweed
octave-4.0.1
gdcm-2.6.3
I have recently gotten into using linux for my research in university. For this research, I have been trying to install the dicom package into octave from the octave forge. When I submit the code pkg install -forge dicom into octave, I get fatal error: gdcm-2.0/gdcmReader.h: No such file or directory causing the installation to fail.
I have searched around for fixes to this problem which appears to have happened to several people in the past (see Dependency library not recognized during installation octave forge dicom package in debian linux). However, since I am new to linux, I really don't understand what these users have done to solve their problem. Additionally, both octave and gdcm have updated since these posts. I also, have not been able to find an updated version of the dicom package while I have been trying to troubleshoot this. If anyone has any input on this I would greatly appreciate it.
Below is what I am seeing in the command window log.
>> pkg install -forge dicom
dicomread.cpp:27:38: fatal error: gdcm-2.0/gdcmImageReader.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make: *** [Makefile:44: dicomread.oct] Error 1
make: *** Waiting for unfinished jobs....
dicominfo.cpp:45:33: fatal error: gdcm-2.0/gdcmReader.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
dicomlookup.cpp:23:31: fatal error: gdcm-2.0/gdcmDict.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make: *** [Makefile:51: dicominfo.o] Error 1
dicomdict.cpp:30:31: fatal error: gdcm-2.0/gdcmDict.h: No such file or directory
compilation terminated.
make: *** [Makefile:60: dicomlookup.o] Error 1
make: *** [Makefile:57: dicomdict.o] Error 1
make: Entering directory '/tmp/oct-5jTUbJ/dicom/src'
mkoctfile -c -g dicominfo.cpp
mkoctfile -c -g dicomdict.cpp
mkoctfile -L/usr/local/lib -lgdcmcharls -lgdcmjpeg8 -lgdcmjpeg12 -lgdcmjpeg16 -lgdcmCommon -lgdcmDICT -lgdcmDSED -lgdcmIOD -lgdcmMSFF -g dicomread.cpp
mkoctfile -c -g dicomlookup.cpp
make: Leaving directory '/tmp/oct-5jTUbJ/dicom/src'
pkg: error running `make' for the dicom package.
error: called from 'configure_make' in file /usr/share/octave/4.0.1/m/pkg/private/configure_make.m near line 96, column 9
>>

Answer 1

This is due to the dicom package being very outdated (2011).
Recently, a number of researchers have updated the package to use the latest version of gdcm and removed some of the hardcodings that made installing gdcm beyond 2.0 uncompatable with the dicom library.
A thread on this is available here
http://octave.1599824.n4.nabble.com/Can-t-install-dicom-package-0-1-1-and-0-1-2-user-version-in-octave-4-0-2-and-ubuntu-14-0-td4681648.html
In short, their instructions are to use a repo of an updated version of dicom package installed. This assumes that gdcm has been installed with headers (i.e built from source).
hg clone http://hg.code.sf.net/p/octave/dicom
cd dicom
make install