Experimenting with read_list I did on WinXP using wxmaxima (5.12)
(%i5) a : read_list("d:/tjw/max/testdata0.txt");
where "d:/tjw/max/testdata0.txt" is a large file of numbers separated by
blanks and some LFs (no CR);
I get no response. Typing further commands just gets those characters
appended
to (%i5). Could maxima be reading the command line input as part of the
read_list
because read_list hasn't finished?