X-Git-Url: http://lambda.jimpryor.net/git/gitweb.cgi?p=lambda.git;a=blobdiff_plain;f=how_to_get_the_programming_languages_running_on_your_computer.mdwn;h=6d3ac5f68b6cff8d52333e2fbf8a3d9219543ee7;hp=345e6aef713208c8d50cdea23b85e6ad831f0449;hb=fcc8a5bb2f7ce557004b398fa3d8df5a903bd493;hpb=ce89df097ec6f487527091cfad44968c621ac6e7 diff --git a/how_to_get_the_programming_languages_running_on_your_computer.mdwn b/how_to_get_the_programming_languages_running_on_your_computer.mdwn index 345e6aef..6d3ac5f6 100644 --- a/how_to_get_the_programming_languages_running_on_your_computer.mdwn +++ b/how_to_get_the_programming_languages_running_on_your_computer.mdwn @@ -1 +1,279 @@ -Test +## Identifying your system ## + +We'll assume you're using either Mac OS X, or Windows, or Linux. + +If you're using **Mac OS X**, take note of what version of the Mac OS you're +running. (Under the Apple Menu, select "About this Mac".) + +* Leopard (10.5) +* Snow Leopard (10.6) +* Lion (10.7) +* Mountain Lion (10.8) +* Mavericks (10.9) +* Yosemite (10.10) + +If you're running **iOS**, you probably can't use this software on that machine. (A bit more below.) + +Furthermore, you'll be in one of two subgroups: + +* You'll have Apple's Xcode and the independent MacPorts system + installed. (Probably you don't. If you don't know what I'm talking about, you don't have these.) + + If you don't have these, but want to try this route, you can read about + the MacPorts system at . + This automates the building of Unix-type software on your Mac; it + makes it a lot easier to check for dependencies, use more-recent + versions of things, and so on. (Though as it happens, MacPorts only has an older version of + our chosen implementation of Scheme.) + + Xcode is available at + . Some + versions of this have been available for free, though you do have to + register with Apple as an "Apple Developer", which involves accepting a + legal agreement with Apple. I have an older version of this installed. + If you download a recent version, email me and let me know how the + process works so I can tell others. There are instructions about how to + get Xcode in the MacPorts installation guide. + + + +* Or you won't have those installed. (**Most Mac users will be in this group.**) + Then you'll need pre-packaged (and usually pretty GUI) installers for + everything. These are great when they're available and kept up-to-date; + however sometimes those conditions aren't met. + + +If you're using **Windows**, you'll be in one of two subgroups: + +* You'll have the Cygwin system + installed. + This puts a Unix-like layer on top of your Windows system, + and makes it easier for you to use the same software everybody + else will be using, without its needing as much special-for-Windows + treatment. However, many of you won't have this installed. + +* You won't have Cygwin installed. You might in theory have + a different group of compilers installed (Microsoft Visual C++) but + we'll assume that the overwhelming majority of users in this group + don't have access to a compiler and need pre-packaged installers + for everything. + +If you're using **Linux**, you could be using any one of numerous packaging +systems. + +* We'll give examples using the packaging system shared by Debian and Ubuntu, + and we'll assume that those of you using different packaging systems will know + how to make the relevant substitutions. You may also want to take note of the + output of the "uname -srm" command. On my machine this tells me "Linux + 3.12.8-extrastuff x86\_64". That tells me I'm running the x86\_64 (as opposed to the + i686 or i386 or whatever) version of Linux, and that I'm running kernel + version 3.12.8. + +**For all of these groups**, a general item to take note of is what "processor architecture" your machine is running. Three of the possibilities are: + +* One of Intel's i386, i486, i586, i686 architectures. These are collectively known as "x86" or "IA-32" or sometimes just "32-bit". +* Intel or AMD's x86\_64 architecture. This is sometimes also called "x64" or "amd64" or "IA-64" or sometimes just "64-bit". +* ARM or some other architecture. These are generally lower-powered machines, like iPads. Some of the software we're proposing *might* in principle be capable of running on such machines, but installers don't seem to be available. We'll assume you have access to an x86 or x86\_64 machine. + +In the Linux example above, I could tell my machine is running x86 because the +result of the `uname` command said "i386" at the end. Another machine I have +says "x86\_64" at the end. On a Mac, you can also say `uname -m` in a Terminal +session, and it will say something like "i386". I think that Mac OS's from Lion +/ 10.7 forward have all been x86\_64-only. On Windows, I don't know how to +collect this information. But generally, machines running Windows XP will +probably be i386/32-bit (unless it's a version of Windows with "64-bit" or +"x64" in its title); machines running Windows Vista or Windows 7 or Windows 8 +could be running either x86/32-bit or x64/64-bit. +(Update: I found +[this Microsoft page](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/32-bit-and-64-bit-windows) +that may help.) + + +## PLEASE REPORT PROBLEMS (AND SOLUTIONS!) ## + +We haven't tested these instructions ourselves, and they're not explicit +step-by-step instructions in any case. If you encounter troubles, please email +to let us know so that we can amend the instructions to help others. If you +figure out how to fix the problem youself (and please do), please also write +with suggestions how we can change these instructions to make the process +easier and more straightforward for others. + + +## Getting Scheme ## + +**Scheme** is one of two major dialects of *Lisp*, which is a large family of +programming languages. The other dialect is called "Common Lisp." Scheme is the +more clean and minimalistic dialect, and is what's mostly used in academic +circles. + +Scheme itself has umpteen different "implementations", which share most of +their fundamentals, but have slightly different extensions and interact with +the operating system differently. One major implementation used to be called +PLT Scheme, but then a few years ago changed their name to Racket. +This is what we recommend you use. (If you're already using or comfortable with +another Scheme implementation, though, there's no compelling reason to switch.) + +Racket stands to Scheme in something like the relation Firefox stands to HTML. It's one program among others for working with the language; and many of those programs (or web browsers) permit different extensions, have small variations, and so on. + +Racket has several components. The two most visible components for us are a command-line interpreter named "racket" and a teaching-friendly editor/front-end named "DrRacket". You will probably be working primarily or wholly in the latter. + + + +* In your web browser: + + There is a (slow, bare-bones) version of Scheme available for online use at . + + +* **To install in Windows** + + Go to . Download and install the "Windows x64" version. (Or the "Windows x86" verson if you have an older, 32-bit system.) + +* **To install on Mac without MacPorts** + + Go to . Download and install the option for your system, most likely "Macintosh + OS X (Intel 64-bit)". + +* **To install on Mac with MacPorts** + + You can install a command-line version of + PLT Scheme (dating from early 2009) by opening a Terminal + and typing: + + sudo port install mzscheme + + If you want the GUI components, I think you'll need to use the + "Mac/without MacPorts" installation options above. + + I recommend also typing: + + sudo port install rlwrap + + then if you ever use the command-line program `mzscheme` (or `racket`), you should start it by typing `rlwrap mzscheme`. This gives + you a nice history of the commands you've already typed, which you can scroll up and down in with your + keyboard arrows. + +* **To install on Linux** + + Use your packaging system, for example, open a Terminal and + type: + + sudo apt-get install racket + + It's very likely that your packaging system has some version of + Racket available, so look for it. However, if you can't find it you + can also install a pre-packaged binary from the Racket website at . + Choose the option for your version of Linux (Ubuntu and Debian are available). + + As above, I recommend you also type: + + sudo apt-get rlwrap + + then if you ever use the command-line program `mzscheme` (or `racket`), you should start it by typing `rlwrap mzscheme`. This gives + you a nice history of the commands you've already typed, which you can scroll up and down in with your + keyboard arrows. + + +## Getting OCaml ## + +**Caml** is one of two major dialects of *ML*, which is another large family of +programming languages. The other dialect is called "SML" and has several +implementations. But Caml has only one active implementation, OCaml or +Objective Caml, developed by the INRIA academic group in France. + + +*Will add more information about this soon.* + +