Init files on Interlisp-10

[pamoroso]

I'm trying to figure out the right combination of file name and coms variable to create an init file for Interlisp-10 on SDF's TWENEX system. I create the file as in this session but Interlisp doesn't recognize and load INIT:

[KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ INTERLISP:LISP
INTERLISP-10  31-Dec-84 ...
Hello.
3_(SETQ INITCOMS '((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA")))))
((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA"))))
4_INITCOMS
((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA"))))
5_(FILES?)
the variables: INITCOMS...to be dumped.
want to say where the above go ? Yes
(variables)
INITCOMS  File name: INIT
NIL
6_(MAKEFILE 'INIT)
<AMOROSO>INIT..3
7_(LOGOUT T)
[KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ INTERLISP:LISP
INTERLISP-10  31-Dec-84 ...
Hi.
3_INITCOMS

UNBOUND ATOM
INITCOMS

4_(LOGOUT T)
[KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ TYPE INIT
(FILECREATED " 4-Sep-2025 16:23:38" <AMOROSO>INIT..3 438    

      changes to:  (VARS INITCOMS))


(* Copyright (c)  by NIL. All rights reserved.)

(PRETTYCOMPRINT INITCOMS)

(RPAQQ INITCOMS ((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA")))
		 (VARS INITCOMS)))

(ADDTOVAR INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA"))

(RPAQQ INITCOMS ((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA")))
		 (VARS INITCOMS)))
(DECLARE: DONTCOPY
  (FILEMAP (NIL)))
STOP

Why does Interlisp insert the VARS command for INITCOMS?

I tried various combinations of file names and com variables without success. The 1978 edition of the IRM mentions INIT.LISP as the site init file, not the user one.

[nbriggs]

You can track down the user greet file from the GREET function -- (CALLS 'GREET) from which you find it calls GREETFILENAME, and (CALLS 'GREETFILENAME) shows that it refers to variables GREETDIRECTORY, GREETFILE, and GREETEXT. GREETDIRECTORY is NIL, GREETFILE is INIT, and GREETEXT is LISP -- so:

…

------------ 4_(ADDTOVAR INITIALSLST (NEW "Nick" "NHB")) 5_INITIALSLST ((NEW "Nick" "NHB")) 6_(FILES?) the variables: INITIALSLST...to be dumped. want to say where the above go ? yes (variables) INITIALSLST File name: INIT.LISP create new file INIT.LISP ? Yes NIL 7_(MAKEFILE 'INIT.LISP) <NEW>INIT.LISP.1 8_(LOGOUT T) [KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ INTERLISP:LISP INTERLISP-10 31-Dec-84 ... Hi, Nick. 3_ (LOGOUT T) [KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ type INIT.LISP (FILECREATED " 4-Sep-2025 21:57:52" <NEW>INIT.LISP.1 302 changes to: (VARS INITCOMS INITIALSLST)) (* Copyright (c) by NIL. All rights reserved.) (PRETTYCOMPRINT INITCOMS) (RPAQQ INITCOMS ((VARS INITIALSLST))) (RPAQQ INITIALSLST ((NEW "Nick" "NHB"))) (DECLARE: DONTCOPY (FILEMAP (NIL))) STOP

------------ (1) The user is a atom, not a string (and I'm just using "LOGIN NEW", so my username is NEW in this example). I don't remember whether first name and initials are also supposed to be atoms - there's probably an example in the IRM. (2) Don't SETQ the fileCOMS yourself - the file manager will set up the COMS and by saying you wanted to add the variable INITCOMS to the file INIT you caused it to add a VARS for that, which caused the weirdness you see in the result. (3) the file name is INIT.LISP -- you can probably get away with just INIT for the (FILES?) part of setting it up, because that's just constructing the INITCOMS in memory, but if you don't (MAKEFILE 'INIT.LISP) the file it writes will not have the LISP extension - which is necessary.

-- Nick

On Sep 4, 2025, at 10:51, Paolo Amoroso ***@***.***> wrote: I'm trying to figure out the right combination of file name and coms variable to create an init file for Interlisp-10 on SDF's TWENEX system. I create the file as in this session but Interlisp doesn't recognize and load INIT: [KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ INTERLISP:LISP INTERLISP-10 31-Dec-84 ... Hello. 3_(SETQ INITCOMS '((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA"))))) ((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA")))) 4_INITCOMS ((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA")))) 5_(FILES?) the variables: INITCOMS...to be dumped. want to say where the above go ? Yes (variables) INITCOMS File name: INIT NIL 6_(MAKEFILE 'INIT) <AMOROSO>INIT..3 7_(LOGOUT T) [KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ INTERLISP:LISP INTERLISP-10 31-Dec-84 ... Hi. 3_INITCOMS UNBOUND ATOM INITCOMS 4_(LOGOUT T) [KANKAN] PUBLIC:<~>@ TYPE INIT (FILECREATED " 4-Sep-2025 16:23:38" <AMOROSO>INIT..3 438 changes to: (VARS INITCOMS)) (* Copyright (c) by NIL. All rights reserved.) (PRETTYCOMPRINT INITCOMS) (RPAQQ INITCOMS ((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA"))) (VARS INITCOMS))) (ADDTOVAR INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA")) (RPAQQ INITCOMS ((ADDVARS (INITIALSLST ("AMOROSO" "Paolo" "PA"))) (VARS INITCOMS))) (DECLARE: DONTCOPY (FILEMAP (NIL))) STOP Why does Interlisp insert the VARS command for INITCOMS? I tried various combinations of file names and com variables without success. The 1978 edition of the IRM mentions INIT.LISP as the site init file, not the user one. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#2276>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AB6DAWKAIVDMBWOQJLDVWG33RBUZNAVCNFSM6AAAAACFUS6JDOVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43ERDJONRXK43TNFXW4OZYHA2DCMRQGY>. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.

[pamoroso]

Thanks, this clarifies what I did wrong and by following your procedure I was able to correctly create the init file.