Scheme on Ubuntu

[igneousquill]

I'm new to programming and have been working mostly on learning Python to start. A couple of developers at work suggested I look into scheme, but I can't get it installed on Ubuntu 8.10. It attempts to install, but then fails. Is this a known issue? Is there some way I can get this going? I'd like to use the MIT manual on this as a guide, but without scheme installed....

[Simian Man]

The thing about Scheme is there are many different implementations. I like guile the best, but mzscheme and MIT scheme are popular too. Which are you trying to install?

[igneousquill]

The thing about Scheme is there are many different implementations. I like guile the best, but mzscheme and MIT scheme are popular too. Which are you trying to install?

mit-scheme

[Simian Man]

Are you installing it from the package manager or from source? In either event what errors are you getting?

[igneousquill]

I've tried both. I'm at my work computer now (a mac) so I'll have to post the error when I get a chance this evening.

Thanks.

[jimi_hendrix]

check the stickies, this is a known issue

i use mzscheme without a problem though

[igneousquill]

check the stickies, this is a known issue

i use mzscheme without a problem though

I'm doing fairly well with Python, so there may not be any point in pursuing this. It just annoys me that I can't use it, and I was hoping for a work-around.

Thanks.

[Simian Man]

If you are new to Scheme, why worry about MIT Scheme? The language is the same, so you could at least start learning with another implementation. guile and mzscheme are both good. There is also PLT Scheme which includes a nice gui environment.

[igneousquill]

If you are new to Scheme, why worry about MIT Scheme? The language is the same, so you could at least start learning with another implementation. guile and mzscheme are both good. There is also PLT Scheme which includes a nice gui environment.

The only thing that drew my attention to scheme was the encouragement from my co-workers to take a look at it. They specifically recommended "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs," but it seems as though this book follows mit-scheme.

[jimi_hendrix]

I'm doing fairly well with Python, so there may not be any point in pursuing this. It just annoys me that I can't use it, and I was hoping for a work-around.

Thanks.

scheme isnt ment for development...its ment for learning and exploring ideas and opening the mind (correct the first statement if its wrong)

if you learn scheme and do some problem solveing with it and you will be a better hacker

[Sorivenul]

The implementation you use is largely irrelevant for starting out with Scheme. I currently use Ikarus, though Guile is just fine. Guile is available in the repositories, and Ikarus is also as of 8.10. Good luck!

[igneousquill]

scheme isnt ment for development...its ment for learning and exploring ideas and opening the mind (correct the first statement if its wrong)

if you learn scheme and do some problem solveing with it and you will be a better hacker

That's the gist of what the developers where I work told me. Since mit-scheme apparently won't work on Ubuntu, how about a variety that will and a good tutorial to go along with it?

Thanks.

[Sorivenul]

Since mit-scheme apparently won't work on Ubuntu, how about a variety that will and a good tutorial to go along with it?
As has been stated, there are many implementations that will work:
Guile
Gauche
Ikarus
PLT
Chicken

Pick one. There are even more available.

As far as tutorials go, I've had very little issue following SICP (Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs) (http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/) from MIT with any implementation. I guess it's much more than a tutorial, but if you are learning Scheme or programming concepts in general, I highly recommend it.

[igneousquill]

As has been stated, there are many implementations that will work:
Guile
Gauche
Ikarus
PLT
Chicken

Pick one. There are even more available.

As far as tutorials go, I've had very little issue following SICP (Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs) (http://mitpress.mit.edu/sicp/) from MIT with any implementation. I guess it's much more than a tutorial, but if you are learning Scheme or programming concepts in general, I highly recommend it.

Cool. In that case I'll give Guile or Ikarus a try over the weekend and try to follow along with SIPC.

Thanks for all the advice on this thread.

[jimi_hendrix]

i lost the link but there was another tutorial like SCIP, but with easier language, it was an ebook with a blue cover...

[igneousquill]

i lost the link but there was another tutorial like SCIP, but with easier language, it was an ebook with a blue cover...

I don't remember seeing anything like that. One tutorial that looks fairly straightforward (to me) is "Teach Yourself Scheme in Fixnum Days" (http://tinyurl.com/pys4) What I've been told about SCIP, though, it that it helps newbies learn to think like programmers.

[jimi_hendrix]

I don't remember seeing anything like that. One tutorial that looks fairly straightforward (to me) is "Teach Yourself Scheme in Fixnum Days" (http://tinyurl.com/pys4) What I've been told about SCIP, though, it that it helps newbies learn to think like programmers.

ya thats what i use for a quick reference...its pretty good

SCIP is great if you get past the MIT speak

the one i was talking about was written by MIT but for high school classes

[CptPicard]

I am not sure if DrScheme has been mentioned here -- it's PLT Scheme with a nice "IDE". Good for learning.

It's too bad mit-scheme is broken on Ubuntu... it is really the most representative and useful implementation IMO. Scheme is not just a learning-thing, it can be meaningfully used for a lot of things. There is even a type-hinted native-code compiler (bigloo).

Personally I have always found Scheme to be the most elegant lisp because it just really just cuts straight to the minimum while maintaining the maximum of what is possible to be expressed in a programming language. Of course CL is more "practical" but that also comes at a cost in language-design sense...

And it is SICP, not SCIP...

[SteelDragon]

i lost the link but there was another tutorial like SCIP, but with easier language, it was an ebook with a blue cover...

Sounds like "How to Design Programs" to me.

http://www.htdp.org

[jimi_hendrix]

yes, i recommend that book (i didnt finish it but i read a good amount)

[maximinus_uk]

Personally I have always found Scheme to be the most elegant lisp because it just really just cuts straight to the minimum while maintaining the maximum of what is possible to be expressed in a programming language. Of course CL is more "practical" but that also comes at a cost in language-design sense...

I always think of Scheme as 'the mathmaticians lisp' and Common Lisp as the 'engineers Lisp'. The former is very minimalist and the latter throws in the kitchen sink - it's all there if you need it!

Personally I prefer the latter (OK, hygenic macros and reentrant continuations are pretty cool, but CL has bonuses in other areas)

[CptPicard]

Pretty good characterization... and it would be wrong to say that I have a "preference" in that sense that one dominates the other. CL is the more practical one, but there is a lot to be said for the elegance of Scheme... it is such a wonderful example of how you can retain the important conceptual things while cutting away a lot. And especially because it has continuations, it really contains pretty much all other programming languages as special cases...

[nvteighen]

MIT/GNU Scheme is broken in Ubuntu since 8.04. The issue is that in 8.04 the error was easily solvable by modifying a config file and now the issue is a huge dependency conflict.

MzScheme, one of the PLT Schemes, is maybe the second-best you can get. The issue is that it uses some non-R5RS compliant functions for very simple stuff, for example, instead of the standard "display" function, you use "print" for outputting to screen, while MIT/GNU is one of the most complying implementations (but the one with the least amount of useful extensions).

[Mr.Macdonald]

scheme isnt ment for development...its ment for learning and exploring ideas and opening the mind

This is very wrong, Scheme is a language as is anything else. I use it as one would Python. I prefer Scheme to languages such as C++ and Java.

My latest Scheme project is a terminal based Connect 4. It comes with a prompt and displays the board.

[Mr.Macdonald]

EDIT: Not My Post

[jimi_hendrix]

This is very wrong, Scheme is a language as is anything else. I use it as one would Python. I prefer Scheme to languages such as C++ and Java.

My latest Scheme project is a terminal based Connect 4. It comes with a prompt and displays the board.

ok...i am generalizing, name 5 major apps written in scheme

[igneousquill]

Sounds like "How to Design Programs" to me.

http://www.htdp.org

Thanks for the link. I'm bookmarking it.

[igneousquill]

Apparently I never updated here on how things worked out. I have guile up and running and am able to follow along just fine with SICP. Thanks again for the help, everyone.

[Sorivenul]

Apparently I never updated here on how things worked out. I have guile up and running and am able to follow along just fine with SICP. Thanks again for the help, everyone.
Glad to hear it. Good luck!

[pgatrick]

That's the gist of what the developers where I work told me. Since mit-scheme apparently won't work on Ubuntu, how about a variety that will and a good tutorial to go along with it?

Thanks.

Have you tried drscheme? It's been a while, but it installed fine when I last used ubuntu, and goes along with the sicp course.

Guess I should have read the rest of this thread, oh well.

[keymoo]

mit-scheme seems to work fine with koala


apt-get install mit-scheme