How do I use (require :PACKAGE) in clisp under Ubuntu Hardy?

Question

I am trying to evaluate the answer provided here, and am getting the error: "A file with name ASDF-INSTALL does not exist" when using clisp:

dsm@localhost:~$ clisp -q
[1]> (require :asdf-install)

*** - LOAD: A file with name ASDF-INSTALL does not exist
The following restarts are available:
ABORT          :R1      ABORT
Break 1 [2]> :r1
[3]> (quit)

dsm@localhost:~$ 

cmucl throws a similar error:

dsm@localhost:~$ cmucl -q
Warning:  #<Command Line Switch "q"> is an illegal switch
CMU Common Lisp CVS release-19a 19a-release-20040728 + minimal debian patches, running on crap-pile
With core: /usr/lib/cmucl/lisp.core
Dumped on: Sat, 2008-09-20 20:11:54+02:00 on localhost
For support see http://www.cons.org/cmucl/support.html Send bug reports to the debian BTS.
or to [email protected]
type (help) for help, (quit) to exit, and (demo) to see the demos

Loaded subsystems:
    Python 1.1, target Intel x86
    CLOS based on Gerd's PCL 2004/04/14 03:32:47
* (require :asdf-install)


Error in function REQUIRE:  Don't know how to load ASDF-INSTALL
   [Condition of type SIMPLE-ERROR]

Restarts:
  0: [ABORT] Return to Top-Level.

Debug  (type H for help)

(REQUIRE :ASDF-INSTALL NIL)
Source: 
; File: target:code/module.lisp
(ERROR "Don't know how to load ~A" MODULE-NAME)
0] (quit)
dsm@localhost:~$ 

But sbcl works perfectly:

dsm@localhost:~$ sbcl -q
This is SBCL 1.0.11.debian, an implementation of ANSI Common Lisp.
More information about SBCL is available at <http://www.sbcl.org/>.

SBCL is free software, provided as is, with absolutely no warranty.
It is mostly in the public domain; some portions are provided under
BSD-style licenses.  See the CREDITS and COPYING files in the
distribution for more information.
* (require :asdf-install)

; loading system definition from
; /usr/lib/sbcl/sb-bsd-sockets/sb-bsd-sockets.asd into #<PACKAGE "ASDF0">
; registering #<SYSTEM SB-BSD-SOCKETS {AB01A89}> as SB-BSD-SOCKETS
; registering #<SYSTEM SB-BSD-SOCKETS-TESTS {AC67181}> as SB-BSD-SOCKETS-TESTS
("SB-BSD-SOCKETS" "ASDF-INSTALL")
* (quit)

Any ideas on how to fix this? I found this post on the internet, but using that didn't work either.

Answer 1

The instructions you got mentioned SBCL explicitely, so it's expected that they'll work better using SBCL, I suppose. Some other Lisps don't come with ASDF or don't hook it up to CL:REQUIRE. In the former case, you'll have load ASDF yourself beforehand. In the latter case, you'll need to call (asdf:oos 'asdf:load-op ) instead of (require ).