mit-scheme(1)

📦 version 12.1, in ubuntu stonking

💖 mit-scheme — the manual, but make it make sense 💖

okay bestie, so this is the mit-scheme(1) page, aka the manual for the MIT/GNU Scheme development environment. sit down, grab a strawberry, we're gonna go through it together 🍓

✨ NAME ✨

mit-scheme — the MIT/GNU Scheme development environment. that's the whole name section, she's short and she knows it 💅

🌈 SYNOPSIS 🌈

mit-scheme [OPTIONS]

literally just run it, optionally with some OPTIONS. that's it, that's the vibe 🦋

👑 DESCRIPTION 👑

MIT/GNU Scheme is an implementation of the Scheme programming language, and it comes with a LOT, no cap:

  • an interpreter
  • a compiler
  • a source-code debugger
  • an integrated Emacs-like editor
  • a large runtime library

and honestly? it's giving "built different". MIT/GNU Scheme is best suited to programming large applications with a rapid development cycle — so if you're the kind of girlie who wants to build something huge and iterate on it fast, this is your main character moment ✨

💅 OPTIONS 💅

okay so these are just some of the more common command-line options. for the FULL deets on what's available, go read the Texinfo documentation, bestie. also, additional options may also be supported by the band (yes, the band — that's a whole thing, iykyk). and if you want descriptions of every available command-line option, use the --help option last. periodt.

  • --version — report various version numbers and copyright information, then exit. like a little "who am i" moment for the program itself 🎀
  • --heap NBLOCKS — specify the size of the heap, measured in 1024-word blocks. it's giving "how much room do we have to keep stuff around" 🧚
  • --stack NBLOCKS — specify the size of the stack, also in 1024-word blocks. the other half of the memory duo fr fr
  • --library PATH — specify where to look for Scheme's binary files. PATH should be a colon-separated list of directory names. yes, colon-separated, don't come at me 🌸
  • --option-summary — print the actual values of the machine parameters (like the ones right above — hi --heap, hi --stack 👋). a little receipts check 🧾
  • --no-init-file — don't load the user's init file. skipping the whole "getting ready" ritual, we're going straight out the door 💀
  • --edit — start the text editor after starting Scheme. editor girlies rise 🙈
  • --eval EXPRESSION... — evaluate the specified expressions after starting Scheme. note the ... — you can pile on more than one 👑
  • --load FILENAME... — load the specified files after starting Scheme. again with the ..., bring all your files, we'll take 'em 💖

🎀 FILES 🎀

here's where everything lives, bestie. know your paths.

  • .scheme.init or SCHEME.INI — Scheme loads this file first, if it exists in the user's home directory. first one in the door, every single time ✨
  • /usr/lib/<architecture>/mit-scheme/ — support files. the backstage area 🦋
  • /usr/bin/mit-scheme-<architecture> — the architecture-specific executable. the actual star of the show, and yes she's specific about her architecture 💅
  • /usr/bin/mit-scheme — a link to the architecture-specific executable, there to allow multiarch installation. and when multiple architectures are installed, use update-alternatives(8) to choose between them. so it's the understudy that's also kind of the same person, iconic 🌈

🌸 ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES 🌸

MIT/GNU Scheme refers to a large number of environment variables. a large number. for the details, see the Texinfo documentation — that's where they all live, i'm not listing them, and neither does this page 💜

⭐ EXAMPLES ⭐

want to use the evaluator in a command-line interface? type this:

mit-scheme

want to start the editor and use it as a front-end to the evaluator? type this instead:

mit-scheme --edit

two commands, two completely different vibes. slay 🫶

💜 AUTHORS 💜

The MIT/GNU Scheme Team <bug-mit-scheme@gnu.org> — the ones who made all of this happen, we love them, we thank them 🔥

🧚 SEE ALSO 🧚

the full documentation for MIT/GNU Scheme is maintained as a set of Texinfo manuals. if the info program is properly installed at your site, this command:

info "MIT/GNU Scheme User"

should give you access to the complete user's manual. and the programming information lives in the Info topics “MIT/GNU Scheme Ref” and “SOS”. go read, bestie, it's all there 📚

okay that's the whole page!! brought to you by the MIT/GNU Scheme Team, version 12.1 — mwah, take care of her, she's iconic 💖✨🎀

📦 where this page comes from