Maxima encountered a Lisp error on start up

On Sun, Feb 14, 2010 at 03:59:32PM +0000, Leo Butler wrote:
> 
> 
> On Sun, 14 Feb 2010, Duane Tarr wrote:
> 
> < I get the following error message when starting Maxima.  What's the fix
> < for this?
> < 
> < 
> < 60:dbt at loki:~> /usr/bin/maxima
> < Maxima 5.20.1 http://maxima.sourceforge.net
> < using Lisp CLISP 2.47 (2008-10-23)
> < Distributed under the GNU Public License. See the file COPYING.
> < Dedicated to the memory of William Schelter.
> < The function bug_report() provides bug reporting information.
> < 
> < stdin:1:Incorrect syntax: Premature termination of input at ;.
> < ;
> < Maxima encountered a Lisp error:
> < 
> <  
> < SYSTEM::FORMAT-TABULATE: argument -1 is not a nonnegative fixnum
> < 
> < Automatically continuing.
> < To enable the Lisp debugger set *debugger-hook* to nil.
> < 
> < *** - THROW: there is no CATCHer for tag RETURN-FROM-DEBUGGER
> < The following restarts are available:
> < MACSYMA-QUIT   :R1      Maxima top-level
> < Break 1 [1]> 
>  
> Duane, could you provide us with a bit more information, please.
> Are you using a Maxima binary that you've installed from your 
> distribution's repositories (it looks like it)? If so, which one?
> 
> It looks to me like there is a syntax error in one of your start-up
> files, maxima-init.mac or maxima-init.lisp (likely the first). 
> 
> The easiest way to check this is to find these start-up files and
> mv them somewhere Maxima won't find them (e.g. rename them). The man
> page explains where Maxima looks.
> 
> Leo
> 
> --------------------
> ps: Here I replicate your broken startup:
> 
> #create broken start-up file:
> work at lenneee:$ echo ';' > maxima-init.mac
> 
> #start maxima
> work at lenneee:$ maxima
> ;; Loading file /home/work/.clisprc ...
> ;; Loaded file /home/work/.clisprc
> Maxima 5.19.2 http://maxima.sourceforge.net
> Using Lisp CLISP 2.44.1 (2008-02-23)
> Distributed under the GNU Public License. See the file COPYING.
> Dedicated to the memory of William Schelter.
> The function bug_report() provides bug reporting information.
> 
> stdin:1:Incorrect syntax: Premature termination of input at ;.
> ;
> Maxima encountered a Lisp error:
> 
> 
> SYSTEM::FORMAT-TABULATE: argument -1 is not a nonnegative fixnum
> 
> Automatically continuing.
> To reenable the Lisp debugger set *debugger-hook* to nil.
> 
> *** - THROW: there is no CATCHer for tag RETURN-FROM-DEBUGGER
> The following restarts are available:
> MACSYMA-QUIT   :R1      Maxima top-level
> Break 1 [1]>
> 
> 
> -- 
> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
> Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

Thanks for the reply, Leo.  I built it from source.  The problem was
in ~/.maxima/maxima-init.mac.