Scheme Release 7 Beta Test

[Chris Hanson <cph@zurich.ai.mit.edu>]

MIT Scheme release 7 is now available for beta test.  This release
contains many notable changes:

    * Liar, the native code compiler, is supported for 68020 and Vax
    computers.  Rough performance measurements indicate that it
    produces code that is competitive with Orbit and Lucid Common Lisp
    (although there's still some work left to beat them consistently).
    High-quality debugging support is standard -- the debugger
    provides nearly the same information for compiled and interpreted
    code.

    * Edwin, the Emacs-like text editor, is supported under curses and
    X version 11.  Unlike the stripped-down version supplied with TI
    PC-Scheme, this is a fully-extensible editor with most of the GNU
    Emacs features.  Due to performance considerations it is likely to
    be useful only on machines that have compiler support.

    * A reference manual, written in Texinfo, is supplied.  The manual
    is still incomplete but even so documents a substantial part of
    the system.  Because it is written in Texinfo, it can be either
    printed or browsed on-line with the Edwin (or GNU Emacs) info
    subsystem.

    * Two-dimensional line and point graphics support for X version 11
    is standard.  Color, border, size, and position controls are
    provided.

Because this is a beta test, users should expect the installation to
be less than completely smooth.  Although we have done extensive
debugging here at MIT, you should expect bugs as well.  We solicit
your bug reports, criticisms, and any other comments about the
release.

A few important things are still missing, including: (1) detailed
documentation for using the compiler and editor, and (2) a
compatibility mode for S&ICP classes.  We hope to remedy these, and
many other defects, by the end of August when the full release will
occur.

We've tested installation on the following machines, and would greatly
appreciate any efforts that you could make getting things running on
any other machines:

    HP 9000 series 300 and 800 running HP-UX
    Sun3 running SunOS
    Vax running Ultrix
    DS3100 running Ultrix

This release may be obtained by anonymous ftp to "zurich.ai.mit.edu"
(internet address 18.26.0.176), from the directory "pub/scheme-7.0/".
See the README file in that directory for further directions.

Because a number of people have had trouble using ftp to that machine,
we plan to distribute from a second host.  When we have an alternate
host, it will be announced.

We will not be mailing tapes of this release until the beta test has
finished and the full release is out; however if you show up at MIT
with a 9-track magtape we'll be happy to put the software on it.

As usual, report bugs to

    bug-cscheme@zurich.ai.mit.edu

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