On Debian, I am trying to compile a CLISP program which uses the cl-ppcre

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Editorial Team

Asked: May 30, 20262026-05-30T02:53:33+00:00 2026-05-30T02:53:33+00:00

On Debian, I am trying to compile a CLISP program which uses the cl-ppcre

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On Debian, I am trying to compile a CLISP program which uses the cl-ppcre package.

A sample, simplified program (which I will call variant 1) looks like this:

(asdf:load-system :cl-ppcre)

(princ (cl-ppcre:regex-replace-all "a" "abcde" "x"))
(terpri)

When I ran it thus::

clisp -q a3.lisp

I got this:

home:~/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program$ clisp -q a3.lisp
; Loading system definition from /usr/share/common-lisp/systems/cl-ppcre.asd into #<PACKAGE ASDF0>
; Registering #<SYSTEM :CL-PPCRE> as CL-PPCRE
; Registering #<SYSTEM :CL-PPCRE-TEST> as CL-PPCRE-TEST
0 errors, 0 warnings
xbcde
home:~/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program$

But when I tried to compile it thus:

clisp -q -c a3.lisp

I got this:

home:~/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program$ clisp -q -c a3.lisp
;; Compiling file /u/home/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program/a3.lisp ...
*** - READ from
       #<INPUT BUFFERED FILE-STREAM CHARACTER
         #P"/u/home/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program/a3.lisp" @3>
      : there is no package with name "CL-PPCRE"

0 errors, 0 warnings
home:~/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program$

I got similar results with successful run and unsuccessful compile with variant 2:

(clc:clc-require :cl-ppcre)

(princ (cl-ppcre:regex-replace-all "a" "abcde" "x"))
(terpri)

What do I need to do to get it to compile?

In case it might help come up with an answer, I looked at the file I/O triggered by running variant 1. I used strace, and sliced and diced the output to show only names of relevant files and directories. When I did this:

strace -o strace.1 clisp -q a3.lisp
grep pcre strace.1       \
  | sed -e 's/^[^"]*"//' \
  | sed -e 's/".*$//'    \
  | sort                 \
  | uniq                 \
  > strace.2

I got this output:

(asdf:load-system :cl-ppcre)\n\n(p
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/api.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/charmap.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/charset.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/chartest.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/closures.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/convert.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/errors.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/lexer.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/optimize.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/packages.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/parser.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/regex-class-util.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/regex-class.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/repetition-closures.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/scanner.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/specials.fas
/u/home/.cache/common-lisp/clisp-2.48-unix-x86/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/util.fas
/u/home/clisp/ercpp/compiling-program/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/aima/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/alexandria/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/arnesi/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/arnesi/src/cl-ppcre-extras.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/aspectl/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/babel/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/binary-types/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/blowfish/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cedilla/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-acl-compat/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-asdf/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-cffi/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-fad/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-interpol/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-jpeg/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-launch/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-menusystem/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-pdf/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-photo/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-plplot/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-port/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/.
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/api.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/api.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/charmap.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/charmap.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/charset.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/charset.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/chartest.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/chartest.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/cl-ppcre-unicode.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/cl-ppcre.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/closures.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/closures.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/convert.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/convert.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/errors.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/errors.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/lexer.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/lexer.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/optimize.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/optimize.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/packages.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/packages.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/parser.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/parser.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/regex-class-util.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/regex-class-util.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/regex-class.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/regex-class.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/repetition-closures.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/repetition-closures.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/scanner.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/scanner.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/specials.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/specials.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/util.fas
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-ppcre/util.lisp
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-salza/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-split-sequence/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-statistics/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-utilities/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/cl-who/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/closer-mop/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/contextl/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/csv/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/fiveam/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/ftp/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/getopt/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/infix/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/inflate/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/ironclad/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/iterate/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/kmrcl-tests/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/kmrcl/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/lexer/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/lw-compat/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/md5/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/metering/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/net-telent-date/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/onlisp/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/pipes/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/png/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/ptester/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/puri/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/qbook/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/readline/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/regex/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/reversi/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-bitcomp/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-bool-comp/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-cache/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-delayed/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-filter/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-fuzzy/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-mod/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-modal/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-queue/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-rand/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-random/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-rsa/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rsm-string/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/rt/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/series/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/slime/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/trivial-features/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/uffi-tests/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/uffi/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/units/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/url-rewrite/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/usocket/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/usocket/test/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/yacc/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/source/yaclml/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/systems/cl-ppcre-test.asd
/usr/share/common-lisp/systems/cl-ppcre.asd

So what do I do?

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1 Answer

Editorial Team · Answer 1 · 2026-05-30T02:53:35+00:00

If you compile some file which uses a package like (cl-ppcre:bar ...) then you need make sure that the package exists.

Compiling a statement like (asdf:load-system :cl-ppcre) does not cause loading the system at compile-time. Thus the package definition is also not loaded and executed. The compiler generates code for this statement, so that it only executes at load-time.

Either you load the system some way before you compile the file or you use

(eval-when (:compile-toplevel :load-toplevel :execute)
  (asdf:load-system :cl-ppcre))

in the file to make sure that it is loaded into the compile-time environment.

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