---
name: "ros"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "roswell"
version: "26.10.119-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/ros"
---

# ros(1)

Roswell - Common Lisp environment setup Utility

## Synopsis

- •

  **ros** \[**options**\] `[command [args...]`

- •

  **ros** \[**options**\] `[--]script [args...]`

- •

  **ros** \[**options**\] \< script.ros

## Description

Roswell is a command line tool for installing and managing Common Lisp implementations, as well as a scripting infrastructure for templating, writing, executing, compiling, distributing, downloading and installing ROSWELL-SCRIPTS written in Common Lisp.

Currently roswell supports sbcl, ccl, clisp and ecl as its supported lisp implementations. For further details see [*ros-install*(1)](/ros-install/1.md).

Scripts installed by roswell will be system wide if appropriate directory is included in PATH.

## Subcommands

In an order of utility/frequency.

- **install**

  Install a given implementation (e.g. sbcl, ccl) or a system (e.g. alexandria) for roswell environment. See [*ros-install*(1)](/ros-install/1.md).

- **init \[name\[.ros\]\]**

  Create a new ros script. `.ros` is optional, and is added automaticaly. See *ros-init*.

- **dump \[executable\|output\] \[script\]**

  Dump an image of the script for the faster startup or to make an executable. See *ros-dump*.

- **build**

  Make an executable from the script. See *ros-build*.

- **run**

  Initiate REPL. See *ros-run*.

- **use**

  Change the default implementation used by roswell. See *ros-use*.

- **list**

  List the various informations. See *ros-list*.

- **config**

  Get and set the options. See *ros-config*.

- **setup**

  Run the initial setup. See *ros-setup*.

- **emacs**

  Launch emacs with slime. See *ros-emacs*.

- **wait**

  Wait forever, used for daemonizing the script. See *ros-wait*.

- **delete**

  Delete an installed implementation. See *ros-delete*.

- **version**

  Show the roswell version information. See *ros-version*.

- **help**

  Show the subcommand help.

## Options

Options are processed in left-to-right order.

- **-w CODE –wrap CODE**

  Run the script with a shell wrapper CODE, e.g. rlwrap

- **-m IMAGE –image IMAGE**

  Continue from Lisp image IMAGE

- **-L NAME –lisp NAME**

  Run the script with a lisp impl NAME\[/VERSION\] if present, e.g. sbcl-bin, sbcl/1.2.16. Fails otherwise.

- **-l FILE –load FILE**

  Load a lisp file FILE while building

- **-S X –source-registry X**

  Override the source registry of asdf systems.

- **-s SYSTEM –system SYSTEM**

  Load the asdf SYSTEM while building.

- **–load-system SYSTEM**

  Same as above (buildapp compatibility)

- **-p PACKAGE –package PACKAGE**

  Change the current package to PACKAGE

- **-sp SP –system-package SP**

  Combination of -s SP and -p SP

- **-e FORM –eval FORM**

  Evaluate FORM while building

- **–require MODULE**

  require MODULE while building

- **-q –quit**

  quit lisp here

- **-r FUNC –restart FUNC**

  the build image restarts from calling FUNC

- **-E FUNC –entry FUNC**

  the build image restarts from calling (FUNC argv).

- **-i FORM –init FORM**

  evaluate FORM after the restart.

- **-ip FORM –print FORM**

  evaluate and princ FORM after the restart

- **-iw FORM –write FORM**

  evaluate and write FORM after the restart

- **-F FORM –final FORM**

  evaluate FORM before dumping the IMAGE

- **-R –rc**

  try to read /etc/rosrc, ~/.roswell/init.lisp

- **+R –no-rc**

  skip /etc/rosrc, ~/.roswell/init.lisp

- **-Q –quicklisp**

  load quicklisp (default)

- **+Q –no-quicklisp**

  do not load quicklisp

- **-v –verbose**

  be quite verbose while building

- **–quiet**

  suppress output while building (default)

- **–test**

  for test purpose

- **dynamic-space-size=\[size in MB\]**

  SBCL specific. The argument is passed to SBCL by `--dynamic-space-size`

## Environmental Variables

- **ROSWELL\_HOME**

  Specifies the home directory of roswell, defaulted to $HOME on Unix platform .

## Bugs

Check out issues list (https://github.com/roswell/roswell/issues)

## SEE ALSO

[*sbcl*(1)](/sbcl/1.md) [*ros-dump*(1)](/ros-dump/1.md) [*ros-init*(1)](/ros-init/1.md) [*ros-install*(1)](/ros-install/1.md) [*ros-list*(1)](/ros-list/1.md) [*ros-setup*(1)](/ros-setup/1.md)

## AUTHORS

Roswell Project Team.