[Ecls-list] simple starts for newbies...

[Teunis Peters]

I'm trying to figure out how to install CFFI - and its dependant on 
"alexandria" (and babel and trivial-features)

platform: ubuntu linux
ecl - ubuntu (20080306 version) with unicode, threads, gmp, long doubles 
and c99complex.
architecture: intel pentium-M

I'm very familiar with the platform and C (mostly) but am recovering 
practice in Lisp - I haven't worked much with it in a few years now and 
all my documentation was circa 1980s *wry grin*.  ECL is about the first 
lisp engine I've seen that seems to do what I need out of Lisp...

So I'm sort of stuck here - although I'm going to continue studying this.
(I'm working on hooks into 'dbus' and 'gtk+' - without much success at 
this point)


starting with alexandria, I build like so:  (no outside requirements, 
http://common-lisp.net/project/alexandria/
)
echo "(require 'asdf) (asdf:make-build :alexandria :type :fasl 
:monolithic nil)" | ecl

result:
 > Cannot find the external symbol MAKE-BUILD in #<"ASDF" package>.
Broken at EVAL.No restarts available.

try:
echo "(asdf:make-build :alexandria :type :fasl :monolithic nil)" | ecl \
    -load /usr/lib/ecl/asdf.fas

result:
success

I then try something like:
 > (require 'alexandria)
Module error: Don't know how to REQUIRE ALEXANDRIA.
Broken at EVAL.No restarts available.
Broken at EVAL.
 >> (asdf:operate 'asdf:load-op 'alexandria)
component "alexandria" not found
Broken at EVAL.No restarts available.

So I try copying the 'fas' files to /usr/lib/ecl - and this result:
echo "(require 'asdf) (require 'alexandria) (require 'trivial-features) 
(asdf:make-build :babel :type :fasl :monolithic nil)" | ecl -load 
/usr/lib/ecl/asdf.fas

result:
;;; Loading #P"/usr/lib/ecl/cmp.fas"
;;; Loading #P"/usr/lib/ecl/sysfun.lsp"
;;; Loading "/usr/lib/ecl/asdf.fas"
;;; Warning: Redefining class SYSTEM-DEFINITION-ERROR
... (lots more 'Redefining class' notes)
 > ;;; Loading #P"/usr/lib/ecl/alexandria.fas"
NIL
 > ;;; Loading #P"/usr/lib/ecl/trivial-features.fas"
NIL
 > ; loading system definition from babel.asd into #<ASDF0 package>
;;; Loading "babel.asd"
; registering #<SYSTEM BABEL 159448352> as BABEL
component #:ALEXANDRIA not found, required by #<ASDF:SYSTEM "babel" 
159448352>
Broken at EVAL.No restarts available.
Broken at EVAL.