* Zach Calvert [2008-01-19 00:17+0100] writes:
I've set up my XEmacs, Gnu Lisp, and Slime as documented here: http://db.glug-bom.org/wiki/index.php/Using_XEmacs_as_a_lisp_shell
GNU Common Lisp (GCL) isn't supported by Slime. Slime needs a Lisp implementation with certain features (TCP sockets, debugger interface, threads, etc) which are not standardized. For the supported implementations Slime has the necessary glue code to access those features. GCL may implement those features in some way, but nobody wrote the glue for Slime yet. [I once tried, but I gave up because at time GCL didn't even have server sockets and I doubt that it has a good debugger. Also, GCL seems to be used primarily for the applications Axiom and Maxima which have special Emacs interfaces (unrelated to Slime).]
Slime works best with CMUCL, SBCL, OpenMCL, Allegro CL, and Lispworks. GNU CLISP (not to be confused with GCL), Corman Lisp, and ECL are supported to some degree but the fancy bits (like M-. and good debugging) are missing.
Of the free (as in gratis) Lisp implementations, only CLISP is available on Windows. [On Windows, Slime might have problems at startup because Windows filenames use backslashes () and not slashes. This can be worked around, but it's probably not your problem.]
The trial editions of Allegro and Lispworks need some special setup for Slime. I think most of what Bill Clementson wrote here http://bc.tech.coop/blog/040306.html is still valid. For Allegro have a look at http://www.franz.com/emacs/slime.lhtml.
If you are learning Lisp just for fun then you could also start with Emacs Lisp instead of Common Lisp. Granted, Emacs Lisp as a language has some flaws but if you have a running Emacs you already have the complete Emacs Lisp environment and Emacs' and Emacs Lisp' documentation is just fantastically good. If you know how programming in Emacs Lisp feels like it's also easier to understand Slime.
Helmut.