1
Here is the standard information about PCL. I have also added you to
2
the CommonLoops@Xerox.com mailing list.
4
Portable CommonLoops (PCL) started out as an implementation of
5
CommonLoops written entirely in CommonLisp. It is in the process of
6
being converted to an implementation of CLOS. Currently it implements a
7
only a subset of the CLOS specification. Unfortunately, there is no
8
detailed description of the differences between PCL and the CLOS
9
specification, the source code is often the best documentation.
11
Currently, PCL runs in the following implementations of
15
Symbolics (Release 7.2)
17
ExCL (Franz Allegro 3.0.1)
19
AKCL (1.86, June 30, 1987)
20
Ibuki Common Lisp (01/01, October 15, 1987)
22
Coral Common Lisp (Allegro 1.2)
23
Golden Common Lisp (3.1)
29
There are several ways of obtaining a copy of PCL.
31
*** Arpanet Access to PCL ***
33
The primary way of getting PCL is by Arpanet FTP.
35
The files are stored on arisia.xerox.com. You can copy them using
36
anonymous FTP (username "anonymous", password "anonymous"). There are
37
several directories which are of interest:
41
This directory contains the PCL sources as well as some rudimentary
42
documentation (including this file). All of these files are combined
43
into a single Unix TAR file. The name of this file is "tarfile".
45
Extract the individual files from this tarfile by saying:
49
where `tarfile' is the name you have given the tarfile in your
50
directory. Once you have done this, the following files are of special
55
notes.text contains notes about the current state of PCL, and some
56
instructions for installing PCL at your site. You should
57
read this file whenever you get a new version of PCL.
59
get-pcl.text contains the latest draft of this message
64
This directory contains TeX source files for the most recent draft of
65
the CLOS specification. There are TeX source files for two documents
66
called concep.tex and functi.tex. These correspond to chapter 1 and 2
67
of the CLOS specification.
72
This directory contains the joint archives of two important mailings
77
is the mailing list for all PCL users. It carries announcements
78
of new releases of PCL, bug reports and fixes, and general advice
79
about how to use PCL and CLOS.
81
Common-Lisp-Object-System@Sail.Stanford.edu
83
is a small mailing list used by the designers of CLOS.
85
The file cloops.text is always the newest of the archive files.
87
The file cloops1.text is the oldest of the archive files. Higher
88
numbered versions are more recent versions of the files.
90
*** Getting PCL on Macintosh floppies ***
92
PCL is listed in APDAlog. It is distributed on Macintosh floppies.
93
This makes it possible for people who don't have FTP access to arisia
94
(but who do have a Macintosh) to get PCL.
96
For $40 you receive a version of PCL and a copy of the CLOS spec (X3J13
97
document number 88-002R). The APDAlog catalog number is T0259LL/A and
98
you can order by calling:
100
From the U.S. (800)282-2732
101
From Canada (800)637-0029
102
International (408)562-3910
106
NOTE: Whenever there is a new release of PCL you want, you should
107
probably wait a couple of months before ordering it from APDAlog. We
108
want to let new PCL's stabilize a bit before sending it to them, and it
109
will take them some time to integrate the new disks into their
112
*** Using the BITFTP server at Princeton ***
114
For people who can't FTP from Internet (Arpanet) hosts, but who have
115
mail access to the BITNET, there exists a way to get the PCL files using
116
the BITFTP service provided by Princeton Univerity. If you know exactly
117
where to find the files that interest you, this is quite easy. In
118
particular, you have to know:
120
* the Internet host name of the host that maintains the files (such
121
as `arisia.Xerox.COM')
122
* the directory where to find the files, relative to the root of the
123
FTP tree (i.E. `pub')
124
* whether the files are binary or ASCII text.
125
* the names of the files (say `pcl90.tar.Z' and `pcl90.README')
127
To do this, send a message to BITFTP@PUCC (or BITFTP@PUCC.BITNET if you
128
aren't on BITNET itself). The subject line of the message will be
129
ignored. The text (body) of the message should be:
131
FTP arisia.xerox.com UUENCODE
137
Then you wait (probably for about a day when you are in Europe) and
138
eventually you will receive E-Mail messages from BITFTP@PUCC (or
139
BITFTP2%PUCC...) with subject lines like `uudecoded file tarfile part
140
13'. Then you have to carefully concatenate the contents of ALL of
141
these files in the correct order.
143
Note: The following works on our Suns and should work on any
144
Berkeley UNIX machine. If you don't have the `compress' or `zcat'
145
program, you can get a free version (with MIT's X Window System
146
distribution, for example).
148
The resulting file can be `uudecode'd like this:
150
dagobert% uudecode name-of-the-assembled-file
152
This will give you a file tarfile.Z (it may actually have a different
153
name; then you may want to rename it in the first place). The `.Z' at
154
the end means that the file you now have is compressed. You can
155
uncompress it with `uncompress tarfile. You can untar the uncompressed
156
file with `tar -xvf tarfile'.
158
This will write all files in the tarfile to the current directory.
160
If you want to know more about the BITFTP service, send a letter to
161
`BITFTP@PUCC' that contains the single line `HELP'.
163
*** Xerox Internet Access to PCL ***
165
Xerox XNS users can get PCL from {NB:PARC:XEROX}<PCL>
169
Send any comments, bug-reports or suggestions for improvements to:
171
CommonLoops.pa@Xerox.com
173
Send mailing list requests or other administrative stuff to:
175
CommonLoops-Request@Xerox.com
178
Thanks for your interest in PCL.