if the system pathname is logical, the component for the file "shape.lisp" fails to locate the intended file. * (asdf:operate 'asdf:load-op :de.setf.graphics.clx) ... ; loading system definition from ; /Development/Source/dev/Library/de/setf/graphics/clx/clx.asd into ... ;; loading #P"/Users/janson/.cache/common-lisp/sbcl-1.0.35-darwin- ppc32/Development/Source/dev/Library/bin/sbcl-osx/edu/mit/clx/ clx-0-7-4/resource.fasl" debugger invoked on a SB-INT:SIMPLE-FILE-ERROR: failed to find the TRUENAME of /edu/mit/clx/clx-0-7-4/shape.lisp: No such file or directory the problem occurs because the respective module, "extensions", specifies a relative pathname with the directory component (:relative) but no host. the consequence is that the source file's relative pathname is an absolute pathname relative to "/" rather than relative to the logical base. the system: 8] (describe *s*) #<ASDF:SYSTEM "clx" {11D57A31}> [standard-object] Slots with :INSTANCE allocation: NAME = "clx" VERSION = "0.7.2" IN-ORDER-TO = ((ASDF:LOAD-OP (ASDF:LOAD-OP CLX- SYSTEM::SB-BSD-SOCKETS)).. DO-FIRST = ((ASDF:COMPILE-OP (ASDF:LOAD-OP CLX- SYSTEM::SB-BSD-SOCKETS))) INLINE-METHODS = NIL PARENT = NIL RELATIVE-PATHNAME = #P"LIBRARY:EDU;MIT;CLX;CLX-0-7-4;" OPERATION-TIMES = #<HASH-TABLE :TEST EQL :COUNT 0 {11E8C2F1}> PROPERTIES = ((ASDF:SYSTEM-NICKNAMES "edu.mit.clx.clx")) COMPONENTS = (#<CLX-SYSTEM::CLX-SOURCE-FILE "package" {120E8811}>.. IF-COMPONENT-DEP-FAILS = :FAIL DEFAULT-COMPONENT-CLASS = CLX-SYSTEM::CLX-SOURCE-FILE DESCRIPTION = #<unbound slot> LONG-DESCRIPTION = #<unbound slot> AUTHOR = #<unbound slot> MAINTAINER = #<unbound slot> LICENCE = #<unbound slot> SOURCE-FILE = #P"/Development/Source/dev/Library/edu/ mit/clx/clx-0-7-4/clx.asd" the module: 8] (describe *p*) #<ASDF:MODULE "extensions" {11E29EA9}> [standard-object] Slots with :INSTANCE allocation: NAME = "extensions" VERSION = #<unbound slot> IN-ORDER-TO = ((ASDF:LOAD-OP.. DO-FIRST = ((ASDF:COMPILE-OP.. INLINE-METHODS = NIL PARENT = #<ASDF:SYSTEM "clx" {11D57A31}> RELATIVE-PATHNAME = #P"" OPERATION-TIMES = #<HASH-TABLE :TEST EQL :COUNT 0 {120E8AE1}> PROPERTIES = NIL COMPONENTS = (#<CLX-SYSTEM::CLX-SOURCE-FILE "shape" {123FA861}>.. IF-COMPONENT-DEP-FAILS = :FAIL DEFAULT-COMPONENT-CLASS = CLX-SYSTEM::CLX-SOURCE-FILE 8] (describe (asdf:component-relative-pathname *p*)) #P"" [structure-object] Slots with :INSTANCE allocation: HOST = #<SB-IMPL::UNIX-HOST {102CE661}> DEVICE = NIL DIRECTORY = (:RELATIVE) NAME = NIL TYPE = NIL VERSION = NIL the file component 8] (describe *c*) #<CLX-SYSTEM::CLX-SOURCE-FILE "shape" {123FA861}> [standard-object] Slots with :INSTANCE allocation: NAME = "shape" VERSION = #<unbound slot> IN-ORDER-TO = NIL DO-FIRST = ((ASDF:COMPILE-OP (ASDF:LOAD-OP))) INLINE-METHODS = NIL PARENT = #<ASDF:MODULE "extensions" {11E29EA9}> RELATIVE-PATHNAME = NIL OPERATION-TIMES = #<HASH-TABLE :TEST EQL :COUNT 0 {126394B9}> PROPERTIES = NIL 8] (describe (asdf:component-pathname *c*)) #P"/edu/mit/clx/clx-0-7-4/shape.lisp" [structure-object] Slots with :INSTANCE allocation: HOST = #<SB-IMPL::UNIX-HOST {102CE661}> DEVICE = :UNSPECIFIC DIRECTORY = (:ABSOLUTE "edu" "mit" "clx" "clx-0-7-4") NAME = "shape" TYPE = "lisp" VERSION = :NEWEST the excerpt from the system definition: (:module extensions :pathname #.(make-pathname :directory '(:relative)) :components ((:file "shape") (:file "big-requests") (:file "xvidmode") (:xrender-source-file "xrender") (:file "glx") (:file "gl" :depends-on ("glx")) (:file "dpms") (:file "xtest") (:file "screensaver") (:file "xinerama")))