Installing and Configuring Algernon 3.0


Compatible LISP environments

Algernon has been tested and run in the following environments:

Algernon-compatible LISP environments.
Hardware Operating System LISP version
Sun Solaris (SunOS 5.5) Allegro CL v4.3, v4.3.1, v5.0
IBM RS6000 AIX 3.2 Allegro CL v4.3
Pentium Box Linux Red Hat 4.0 Allegro CL v4.3 for Linux
Pentium Box Windows 95 Allegro CL v4.3 Lite
DEC Alpha ? Harlequin LISP
Sun Solaris (SunOS 5.5) GCL v2.2.1
Pentium Box Linux (version?) GCL (version?)
Macintosh MacOS 7.5.5 MCL 3.0
Sun SunOS 4.1.3 Allegro CL v4.2 (obsolete)
Sun SunOS 4.1.3 Lucid Common LISP 4.1 (obsolete)

Configuration files

The values of global variables specific to a certain LISP environment are stored in files named "cfg-xxxx-yyyy" in the config/ subdirectory. The string "xxxx" is replaced by the hardware/OS type and the string "yyyy" is replaced by the LISP version. When the base file, "algy.lisp", is loaded, it loads the correct configuration file based on the value of the *features* variable. The necessary features are automatically set by LISP when it starts running.

For example, when we run Algernon on a Sun in Allegro CL 5.0, the code in "algy.lisp" loads the file "cfg-SUN-ALLEGRO-5-0.lisp". This file defines several configuration-specific variables:

To configure Algernon for a new machine, operating system or version of LISP, do the following:

  1. Create a new configuration file and place it in the "config/" directory.
  2. Edit "algy.lisp" to load the new config file when the appropriate LISP features are defined.

Binary files

Binary files for a specific configuration are usually stored in an appropriately-named subdirectory under the "bins/" directory. This is necessary when Algernon is being run in several versions of LISP at the same site. However, in a home PC environment with just one version of LISP available, the user may wish to store binary files in the "src/" directory.
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This page was created by

Micheal Hewett