I have recently checked code into cvs to support static installs under
Clisp and CMUCL. By static install, I mean that support files from the
lisp implementation are copied into the maxima directory structure.
Installed maxima no longer depends on the external lisp files. (GCL
installs have always had this property.) The additional disk space used
is insignificant compared to the Maxima files.
Static installs allow lisp developers to update their lisp installations
without worrying about breaking an installed Maxima version. (This
problem has bitten me.) They also allow binary packages to be
distributed without external lisp dependencies.
The build system does some funky things to guess the locations of the
required lisp files. I would appreciate hearing positive and negative
experiences with the new installation code.
--Jim