12.4 Saving and testing the configured image

It is not usually necessary to save an image merely to preload patches and your configuration, because these load very quickly on modern machines.

However, if you want to save an image to reduce startup time for a complex configuration (such as large application code) or to save a non-windowing image, then proceed as described in this section.

12.4.1 Create a configuration file

Make a copy of config/configure.lisp called /tmp/my-configuration.lisp. When you have made any desired changes in my-configuration.lisp you can save a new LispWorks image, as described in Create and use a save-image script.

12.4.2 Create and use a save-image script

Create a configuration and saving script /tmp/save-config.lisp, containing:

(load-all-patches)

(load "/tmp/my-configuration.lisp")

(save-image "my-lispworks")

Change directory to the LispWorks installation directory, for example:


% cd /usr/local/lib/LispWorks

Start the supplied image using the configuration script as the build file. For example:


% lispworks-7-0-0-x86-linux -build /tmp/save-config.lisp

If the image will not run at this stage, it is probably not finding a valid key.

Saving the image takes some time.

You can now use the new my-lispworks image by starting it just as you did the supplied image. The supplied image is not required after the configuration process has been successfully completed.

Do not try to save a new image over an image that is currently running. Instead, save an image under a unique name, and then, if necessary, replace the new image with the old one after the call to save-image has returned.

12.4.3 Testing the newly saved image

You should now test the new LispWorks image. To test a configured version of LispWorks, do the following:

Change directory to /tmp.
Verify that your DISPLAY environment variable is correctly set and that your machine has permission to connect to the display.
Start up the new image.

The window-based environment should now initialize--during initialization a window displaying a copyright notice will appear on the screen.

You may wish to work through some of the examples in the LispWorks User Guide and Reference Manual , to further check that the configured image has been successfully built.

Test the load-on-demand system. In the Listener, type:


CL-USER 1 > (inspect 1)

Before information about the fixnum 1 is printed, the system should load the inspector from the load-on-demand directory.

12.4.4 Saving a non-windowing image

For some purposes such as scripting it is convenient to have a LispWorks image that does not start the graphical programming environment.

To save an image which does not automatically start the GUI, use a script as described in Create and use a save-image script but pass the :environment argument to save-image. For example:


(save-image "my-tty-lispworks" :environment nil)