SMALLTALK(1)

📦
version 3.2.5 · 2 versions
, in ubuntu jammy

💖 SMALLTALK(1) 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the User Commands section, this is the manual page for Smalltalk — the GNU Smalltalk virtual machine 🫶✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

Smalltalk — the GNU Smalltalk virtual machine. that's it, that's the whole vibe, it's a VM and it's iconic 💅

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so here's how you use GNU Smalltalk, no cap:

gst [ flag ... ] [ file ... ]
gst [ flag ... ] { -f | --file } file [ args ... ]

lowkey important: short flags can show up either as -xyz or as -x -y -z — both slay equally 💅. and if an option is mandatory for a long option, bestie it's also mandatory for a short one, periodt. no skipping.

the currently defined set of flags is, and I'm obsessed with every single one:

  • -a, --smalltalk-args — pass the remaining arguments to Smalltalk, hand 'em over 💌
  • -c, --core-dump — dump core on fatal signal. yes it's exactly as dramatic as it sounds 😭
  • -D, --declaration-trace — trace compilation of all loaded files, watch it cook 🔥
  • -E, --execution-trace — trace execution of all loaded files, main character energy fr
  • -g, --no-gc-message — do not print garbage collection messages. quiet luxury ✨
  • -H, --help — print this message and exit, the classic escape hatch 🏃‍♀️
  • -i, --rebuild-image — ignore the image file; rebuild it from scratch. fresh start era 🦋
  • --maybe-rebuild-image — rebuild the image file from scratch if any kernel file is newer. "maybe" is so real of it 🙈
  • -I, --image FILE — instead of gst.im, use FILE as the image file, and ignore the kernel files' timestamps. not me ghosting those timestamps 💀
  • -K, --kernel-file FILE — make FILE's path relative to the image path
  • -q, --quiet, --silent — do not print execution information. shhh, she's in her quiet era 🤫
  • -r, --regression-test — run in regression test mode, i.e. make printed messages constant. consistency is the vibe 🌈
  • -S, --snapshot — save a snapshot just before exiting. scrapbook moment 🎀
  • -v, --version — print the Smalltalk version number and exit, quick lil flex 👑
  • -V, --verbose — show names of loaded files and execution stats. she's telling you EVERYTHING 🗣️
  • --emacs-mode — execute as a process (from within Emacs)
  • --kernel-directory DIR — look for kernel files in directory DIR
  • --no-user-files — don't read user customization files. unbothered, unpersonalized 💜
  • - — read input from standard input explicitly. a single dash, a whole mood ⭐

okay so the flow: files are loaded one after the other. after the last one is loaded, Smalltalk will exit. and if no files are specified, Smalltalk reads from the terminal, with prompts — like a lil convo between you and the VM 🫶

and in the second form, the file after -f is the last loaded file; any parameter after that file is passed to the Smalltalk program. iykyk 💅

🧚 AUTHOR 🧚

written by Steve Byrne (sbb@gnu.org) and Paolo Bonzini (bonzini@gnu.org) — kings, honestly 👑

GNU Smalltalk comes with NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law. and bestie I need you to hear this part loud: you may redistribute copies of GNU Smalltalk under the terms of the GNU General Public License. for more information, see the file named COPYING. that's the whole legal tea ☕

also, for the record:

  • Using default kernel path: /usr/share/gnu-smalltalk/kernel
  • Using default image path: /usr/lib/gnu-smalltalk

😭 REPORTING BUGS 😭

report bugs to <help-smalltalk@gnu.org> — they wanna hear it fr fr.

GNU Smalltalk home page: <http://smalltalk.gnu.org/>. general help using GNU software: <http://www.gnu.org/gethelp/>.

Copyright 2009 Free Software Foundation, Inc.

🌈 SEE ALSO 🌈

the full documentation for Smalltalk is maintained as a Texinfo manual. if the info and the Smalltalk programs are properly installed at your site, this command:

info gst

should give you access to the complete manual. go get that lore 📖✨

that's the whole page bestie, go forth and gst responsibly 🫶

signing off with love: this was Smalltalk version 3.2.5, from September 2021 💖🎀✨

📦 where this page comes from