What Lisp to choose, really?

During the last days, I almost switched from Lispworks (too many tabs, too many things in general) back to MCL (essential, fast, with a powerful meta-dot command). But I run into many problems, the most important of them is getting ASDF to run, so to be able to run the server (Hunchentoot) from there. I set up the init file to load ASDF in MCL, and tried to share the same registry which I previously created through Lispworks and asdf-install…. but it doesnt want to work! Why’s that?

…………..LISTENER
Welcome to Macintosh Common Lisp Version 5.0!
? (asdf:operate ‘asdf:compile-op :asdf-install)
> Error: Error component “asdf-install” not found
> While executing: ASDF:FIND-SYSTEM
> Type Command-. to abort.
See the Restarts… menu item for further choices.
1 > asdf:*central-registry*
(“Macintosh HD:Users:michelepasin:Documents:Lisp:asdf-mcl-install-dir:systems:” *DEFAULT-PATHNAME-DEFAULTS*)
1 > (asdf:operate ‘asdf:compile-op :cl-who)
> Error: Error component “cl-who” not found
> While executing: ASDF:FIND-SYSTEM
> Type Command-. to abort.
See the Restarts… menu item for further choices.
2 >

……………INIT file (in MCL folder)
#-:asdf (load “Macintosh HD:Users:michelepasin:Documents:Lisp:asdf:asdf”)

(pushnew “Macintosh HD:Users:michelepasin:Documents:Lisp:asdf-mcl-install-dir:systems:” asdf:*central-registry* :test #’equal)

Then later today I found out about this (basically, Digitool’s misteriosly ‘silent’ about MCL and intel-macs). So the question is: what’s the right framework to choose?

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One Response to “What Lisp to choose, really?”

Well I found some info: this interesting link presents a similar issue with MCL.
The problem is the mac-file-format. As explained:
>>>> I’d guess it could be because of the problem with different line
>>>> endings. You could open the file and convert it from CR line endings
>>>> to LF line endings with ctrl-X ctrl-F.

So what I’ve done is opening and saving all the asdf-install’ed libraries in my library-folder (~/.asdf-install-dir/….) with Microsoft Word. That’s why we have WORD in our HD.. well jokin’ :-)

I thought about having separate libraries for mcl and LW, but it doesnt seem feasible, as the .asdf-install file (which configures where the dwnloaded libraries will go) is customizable, but unique. Unless you want to start moving it around… but it doesnt seem very practical ….

Once all the installed libraries (.asd and .lisp files) have been converted to the mac format, I just copied the aliases to the MCL-asdf registry folder (which can be anywhere). That’s actually what asdf looks up when you load a library!

WARNING:
Preferably, I guess, it’s good to make sure you don’t re-install what has already been asdf-install’ed through lispworks: since mcl can’t read files which are not “treated” as above, i dont know what’s going to happen.

Since it’s perfectly fine to asdf-install stuff without caring whether or not the lisp implementation of choice actually runs it, it’s possible to just install everything through LW, and then use it with other implementations whenever needed!
NEAT! That’s where my knowledge arrives right now…

The sad ending of the story, however, is that what I intended to run, Hunchentoot, doesn’t work on MCL. :-((((((((((((((((
A couple of the libraries (CFFI..) are not ported yet !

Mikele added these pithy words on Apr 24 07 at 11:20 pm

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