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[sxemacs] / info / lispref / building.texi

@c -*-texinfo-*-
@c This is part of the SXEmacs Lisp Reference Manual.
@c Copyright (C) 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
@c Copyright (C) 2005 Sebastian Freundt <hroptatyr@sxemacs.org>
@c See the file lispref.texi for copying conditions.
@setfilename ../../info/building.info

@node Building SXEmacs and Object Allocation, Standard Errors, Tips, Top
@appendix Building SXEmacs; Allocation of Objects

  This chapter describes how the runnable SXEmacs executable is dumped
with the preloaded Lisp libraries in it and how storage is allocated.

  There is an entire separate document, the @cite{SXEmacs Internals
Manual}, devoted to the internals of SXEmacs from the perspective of the
C programmer.  It contains much more detailed information about the
build process, the allocation and garbage-collection process, and other
aspects related to the internals of SXEmacs.

@menu
* Building SXEmacs::    How to preload Lisp libraries into SXEmacs.
* Garbage Collection::  Reclaiming space for Lisp objects no longer used.
@end menu


@node Building SXEmacs
@appendixsec Building SXEmacs
@cindex building SXEmacs
@pindex temacs

  This section explains the steps involved in building the SXEmacs
executable.  You do not have to know this material to build and install
SXEmacs, since the makefiles do all these things automatically.  This
information is pertinent to SXEmacs maintenance.

  The @cite{SXEmacs Internals Manual} contains more information about this.

  Compilation of the C source files in the @file{src} directory
produces an executable file called @file{temacs}, also called a
@dfn{bare impure SXEmacs}.  It contains the SXEmacs Lisp interpreter and
I/O routines, but not the editing commands.

@cindex @file{loadup.el}
  Before SXEmacs is actually usable, a number of Lisp files need to be
loaded.  These define all the editing commands, plus most of the startup
code and many very basic Lisp primitives.  This is accomplished by
loading the file @file{loadup.el}, which in turn loads all of the other
standardly-loaded Lisp files.

  It takes a substantial time to load the standard Lisp files.  Luckily,
you don't have to do this each time you run SXEmacs; @file{temacs} can
dynamically dump out an executable program called @file{sxemacs} that
has these files preloaded.  In fact, this is actually all what
@file{temacs} can do and does.

The resulting file @file{sxemacs} starts more quickly because it does
not need to load the files.  This is the SXEmacs executable that is
normally installed.

  To create @file{sxemacs}, use the command @samp{temacs -batch -l loadup
dump}.  The purpose of @samp{-batch} here is to tell @file{temacs} to run
in non-interactive, command-line mode.  @file{temacs} can @emph{only}
run in this fashion.  Part of the code required to initialize frames and
faces is in Lisp, and must be loaded before SXEmacs is able to create
any frames.  The argument @samp{dump} tells @file{loadup.el} to dump a
new executable named @file{sxemacs}.

Note: The dumping process is highly system-specific, and some operating
systems do not support dumping.  On those systems, you must start
SXEmacs with the @samp{temacs -batch -l loadup run-temacs} command each
time you use it.  This takes a substantial time, but since you need to
start SXEmacs once a day at most---or once a week if you never log
out---the extra time is not too severe a problem.

@cindex runnable @file{temacs}
@cindex bootstrapping SXEmacs from @file{temacs}
  You are free to start SXEmacs directly from @file{temacs} if you want,
even if there is already a dumped @file{sxemacs}.  Normally you wouldn't
want to do that; but the Makefiles do this when you rebuild SXEmacs using
@samp{make all-elc}, which builds SXEmacs and simultaneously compiles any
out-of-date Lisp files. 

  You need @file{temacs} in order to compile Lisp files.  However, you
also need the compiled Lisp files in order to dump out
@file{sxemacs}.  If both of these are missing or corrupted, you are 
out of luck unless you're able to bootstrap @file{sxemacs} from
@file{temacs}.  Note that @samp{make all-elc} actually loads the
alternative loadup file @file{loadup-el.el}, which works like
@file{loadup.el} but disables the pure-copying process and forces
SXEmacs to ignore any compiled Lisp files even if they exist.

@cindex @file{site-load.el}
  You can specify additional files to preload by writing a library named
@file{site-load.el} that loads them.  You may need to increase the value
of @code{PURESIZE}, in @file{src/puresize.h}, to make room for the
additional files.  You should @emph{not} modify this file directly,
however; instead, use the @samp{--puresize} configuration option.  If
you run out of pure space while dumping @file{sxemacs}, you will be told
how much pure space you actually will need.  However, the advantage of
preloading additional files decreases as machines get faster.  On modern
machines, it is often not advisable, especially if the Lisp code is
on a file system local to the machine running SXEmacs.

@cindex @file{site-init.el}
  You can specify other Lisp expressions to execute just before dumping
by putting them in a library named @file{site-init.el}.  However, if
they might alter the behavior that users expect from an ordinary
unmodified SXEmacs, it is better to put them in @file{default.el}, so
that users can override them if they wish.  @xref{Start-up Summary}.

  Before @file{loadup.el} dumps the new executable, it finds the
documentation strings for primitive and preloaded functions (and
variables) in the file where they are stored, by calling
@code{Snarf-documentation} (@pxref{Accessing Documentation}).  These
strings were moved out of the @file{sxemacs} executable to make it
smaller.  @xref{Documentation Basics}.

@defun dump-emacs to-file from-file
@cindex unexec
  This function dumps the current state of SXEmacs into an executable file
@var{to-file}.  It takes symbols from @var{from-file} (this is normally
the executable file @file{temacs}).

If you use this function in an SXEmacs that was already dumped, you must
set @code{command-line-processed} to @code{nil} first for good results.
@xref{Command Line Arguments}.
@end defun

@defun run-emacs-from-temacs &rest args
  This is the function that implements the @file{run-temacs} command-line
argument.  It is called from @file{loadup.el} as appropriate.  You should
most emphatically @emph{not} call this yourself; it will reinitialize
your SXEmacs process and you'll be sorry.
@end defun

@deffn Command emacs-version &optional arg
  This function returns a string describing the version of SXEmacs that is
running.  It is useful to include this string in bug reports.

When called interactively with a prefix argument, insert string at point.
Don't use this function in programs to choose actions according
to the system configuration; look at @code{system-configuration} instead.

@example
@group
(emacs-version)
  @result{} "SXEmacs: hroptatyr@@sxemacs.org--sxemacs/sxemacs--hrop--22.1.2--patch-15, 
                 built Fri Apr 29 18:44:05 2005 on marlin.math.tu-berlin.de"
@end group
@end example

Called interactively, the function prints the same information in the
echo area.
@end deffn

@defvar emacs-build-time
The value of this variable is the time at which SXEmacs was built at the
local site.

@example
@group
emacs-build-time
     @result{} "Fri Apr 29 18:44:05 2005"
@end group
@end example
@end defvar

@defvar emacs-version
The value of this variable is the version of Emacs being run.  It is a string,
e.g. @code{"hroptatyr@@sxemacs.org--sxemacs/sxemacs--hrop--22.1.2--patch-15"}.
@end defvar

  The following two variables should be used in favour of snarfing and parsing
the output of @code{emacs-version}.

@defvar emacs-major-version
The major version number of Emacs, as an integer.  For SXEmacs version
22.1.2, the value is 22.
@end defvar

@defvar emacs-minor-version
The minor version number of Emacs, as an integer.  For SXEmacs version
22.1.2, the value is 1.
@end defvar

Note: These variables did not exist in early Emacs versions.  If you
intend to preserve backward compatibility to this great extent you
should definitely consider to use a @code{boundp} condition.

Code to make certain features dependent on the version you are running
can be derived from the following example:

@example
@group
(when (boundp 'emacs-major-version)
  (case emacs-major-version
     (21 (message "You are probably not using SXEmacs"))
     (22 (case emacs-minor-version
           (1 (message "SXEmacs 22.1.x"))
           (2 (message "SXEmacs 22.2.x"))
           (3 (message "SXEmacs 22.3.x"))
           (otherwise (message "Weird version."))))
     (otherwise (error "Your version of SXEmacs is too old."))))
@end group
@end example


@node Garbage Collection
@appendixsec Garbage Collection
@cindex garbage collector

@cindex memory allocation
  When a program creates a list or the user defines a new function (such
as by loading a library), that data is placed in normal storage.  If
normal storage runs low, then SXEmacs asks the operating system to
allocate more memory in blocks of 2k bytes.  Each block is used for one
type of Lisp object, so symbols, cons cells, markers, etc., are
segregated in distinct blocks in memory.  Vectors, long strings,
buffers and certain other editing types, which are fairly large, are
allocated in individual blocks, one per object, while small strings are
packed into blocks of 8k bytes.

More correctly, a string is allocated in two sections: a fixed size
chunk containing the length, list of extents, etc.; and a chunk
containing the actual characters in the string.  It is this latter chunk
that is either allocated individually or packed into 8k blocks.  The
fixed size chunk is packed into 2k blocks, as for conses, markers,
etc.

  It is quite common to use some storage for a while, then release it by
(for example) killing a buffer or deleting the last pointer to an
object.  SXEmacs provides a @dfn{garbage collector} to reclaim this
abandoned storage.  This name is traditional, but ``garbage recycler''
might be a more intuitive metaphor for this facility.

  The garbage collector operates by finding and marking all Lisp objects
that are still accessible to Lisp programs.  To begin with, it assumes
all the symbols, their values and associated function definitions, and
any data presently on the stack, are accessible.  Any objects that can
be reached indirectly through other accessible objects are also
accessible.

  When marking is finished, all objects still unmarked are garbage.  No
matter what the Lisp program or the user does, it is impossible to refer
to them, since there is no longer a way to reach them.  Their space
might as well be reused, since no one will miss them.  The second
(``sweep'') phase of the garbage collector arranges to reuse them.

@cindex free list
  The sweep phase puts unused cons cells onto a @dfn{free list} for
future allocation; likewise for symbols, markers, extents, events,
floats, compiled-function objects, and the fixed-size portion of
strings.  It compacts the accessible small string-chars chunks so they
occupy fewer 8k blocks; then it frees the other 8k blocks.  Vectors,
buffers, windows, and other large objects are individually allocated and
freed using @code{malloc} and @code{free}.

@cindex CL note---allocate more storage
@quotation
@b{Common Lisp note:} unlike other Lisps, SXEmacs Lisp does not
call the garbage collector when the free list is empty.  Instead, it
simply requests the operating system to allocate more storage, and
processing continues until @code{gc-cons-threshold} bytes have been
used.

This means that you can make sure that the garbage collector will not
run during a certain portion of a Lisp program by calling the garbage
collector explicitly just before it provided that portion of the
program does not use so much space as to force a second garbage
collection.
@end quotation

@deffn Command garbage-collect
This command runs a garbage collection, and returns information on
the amount of space in use.

Garbage collection can also occur spontaneously if you use more than
@code{gc-cons-threshold} bytes of Lisp data since the previous garbage
collection.

@code{garbage-collect} returns a list containing the following
information:

@example
@group
((@var{used-conses} . @var{free-conses})
 (@var{used-syms} . @var{free-syms})
@end group
 (@var{used-markers} . @var{free-markers})
 @var{used-string-chars}
 @var{used-vector-slots}
 (@var{plist}))

@group
@result{} ((73362 . 8325) (13718 . 164)
(5089 . 5098) 949121 118677
(conses-used 73362 conses-free 8329 cons-storage 658168
symbols-used 13718 symbols-free 164 symbol-storage 335216
bit-vectors-used 0 bit-vectors-total-length 0
bit-vector-storage 0 vectors-used 7882
vectors-total-length 118677 vector-storage 537764
compiled-functions-used 1336 compiled-functions-free 37
compiled-function-storage 44440 short-strings-used 28829
long-strings-used 2 strings-free 7722
short-strings-total-length 916657 short-string-storage 1179648
long-strings-total-length 32464 string-header-storage 441504
floats-used 3 floats-free 43 float-storage 2044 markers-used 5089
markers-free 5098 marker-storage 245280 events-used 103
events-free 835 event-storage 110656 extents-used 10519
extents-free 2718 extent-storage 372736
extent-auxiliarys-used 111 extent-auxiliarys-freed 3
extent-auxiliary-storage 4440 window-configurations-used 39
window-configurations-on-free-list 5
window-configurations-freed 10 window-configuration-storage 9492
popup-datas-used 3 popup-data-storage 72 toolbar-buttons-used 62
toolbar-button-storage 4960 toolbar-datas-used 12
toolbar-data-storage 240 symbol-value-buffer-locals-used 182
symbol-value-buffer-local-storage 5824
symbol-value-lisp-magics-used 22
symbol-value-lisp-magic-storage 1496
symbol-value-varaliases-used 43
symbol-value-varalias-storage 1032 opaque-lists-used 2
opaque-list-storage 48 color-instances-used 12
color-instance-storage 288 font-instances-used 5
font-instance-storage 180 opaques-used 11 opaque-storage 312
range-tables-used 1 range-table-storage 16 faces-used 34
face-storage 2584 glyphs-used 124 glyph-storage 4464
specifiers-used 775 specifier-storage 43869 weak-lists-used 786
weak-list-storage 18864 char-tables-used 40
char-table-storage 41920 buffers-used 25 buffer-storage 7000
extent-infos-used 457 extent-infos-freed 73
extent-info-storage 9140 keymaps-used 275 keymap-storage 12100
consoles-used 4 console-storage 384 command-builders-used 2
command-builder-storage 120 devices-used 2 device-storage 344
frames-used 3 frame-storage 624 image-instances-used 47
image-instance-storage 3008 windows-used 27 windows-freed 2
window-storage 9180 lcrecord-lists-used 15
lcrecord-list-storage 360 hash-tables-used 631
hash-table-storage 25240 streams-used 1 streams-on-free-list 3
streams-freed 12 stream-storage 91))
@end group
@end example

Here is a table explaining each element:

@table @var
@item used-conses
The number of cons cells in use.

@item free-conses
The number of cons cells for which space has been obtained from the
operating system, but that are not currently being used.

@item used-syms
The number of symbols in use.

@item free-syms
The number of symbols for which space has been obtained from the
operating system, but that are not currently being used.

@item used-markers
The number of markers in use.

@item free-markers
The number of markers for which space has been obtained from the
operating system, but that are not currently being used.

@item used-string-chars
The total size of all strings, in characters.

@item used-vector-slots
The total number of elements of existing vectors.

@item plist
A list of alternating keyword/value pairs providing more detailed
information. (As you can see above, quite a lot of information is
provided.)
@ignore  @c Different in SXEmacs

@item used-floats
@c Emacs 19 feature
The number of floats in use.

@item free-floats
@c Emacs 19 feature
The number of floats for which space has been obtained from the
operating system, but that are not currently being used.
@end ignore
@end table
@end deffn

@defopt gc-cons-threshold
The value of this variable is the number of bytes of storage that must
be allocated for Lisp objects after one garbage collection in order to
trigger another garbage collection.

A cons cell counts as eight bytes, a string as one byte per character
plus a few bytes of overhead, and so on; space allocated to the contents
of buffers does not count.  Note that the subsequent garbage collection
does not happen immediately when the threshold is exhausted, but only
the next time the Lisp evaluator is called.

The initial threshold value is 500,000.  If you specify a larger
value, garbage collection will happen less often.  This reduces the
amount of time spent garbage collecting, but increases total memory use.
You may want to do this when running a program that creates lots of
Lisp data.

You can make collections more frequent by specifying a smaller value,
down to 10,000.  A value less than 10,000 will remain in effect only
until the subsequent garbage collection, at which time
@code{garbage-collect} will set the threshold back to 10,000.

Note: This does not apply if SXEmacs was configured with @samp{--debug}.
Therefore, be careful when setting @code{gc-cons-threshold} in that
case!
@end defopt

@ignore
@c Emacs 19 feature
@defun memory-limit
This function returns the address of the last byte SXEmacs has allocated,
divided by 1024.  We divide the value by 1024 to make sure it fits in a
Lisp integer.

You can use this to get a general idea of how your actions affect the
memory usage.
@end defun
@end ignore

@defvar pre-gc-hook
This is a normal hook to be run just before each garbage collection.
Interrupts, garbage collection, and errors are inhibited while this hook
runs, so be extremely careful in what you add here.

In particular, avoid consing, and do not interact with the user!
@end defvar

@defvar post-gc-hook
This is a normal hook to be run just after each garbage collection.
Interrupts, garbage collection, and errors are inhibited while this hook
runs, so be extremely careful in what you add here.

In particular, avoid consing, and do not interact with the user!
@end defvar

@defvar gc-message
This is a string to print to indicate that a garbage collection is in
progress.  This is printed in the echo area.  If the selected frame is
on a window system and @code{gc-pointer-glyph} specifies a value (i.e. a
pointer image instance) in the domain of the selected frame, the mouse
cursor will change instead of this message being printed.
@end defvar

@defvr Glyph gc-pointer-glyph
This holds the pointer glyph used to indicate that a garbage collection
is in progress.  If the selected window is on a window system and this
glyph specifies a value (i.e. a pointer image instance) in the domain of
the selected window, the cursor will be changed as specified during
garbage collection.  Otherwise, a message will be printed in the echo
area, as controlled by @code{gc-message}.  @xref{Glyphs}.
@end defvr

If SXEmacs was configured with @samp{--debug}, you can set the following
two variables to get direct information about all the allocation that
is happening in a segment of Lisp code.

@defvar debug-allocation
If non-zero, print out information to stderr about all objects
allocated.
@end defvar

@defvar debug-allocation-backtrace
Length (in stack frames) of short backtrace printed out by
@code{debug-allocation}.
@end defvar