Re: Is this correct?

In SBCL it's a pathname which specifies the directory the Lisp started in, while in LW it's essentially a null pathname. This explains the difference (up to filesystem case-sensitivity issues).

I don't know what happens in SBCL if you change the Unix working directory of the process. I'd check but I have a cat sitting on me who would object.

--tim

On 20 Feb 2026, at 16:27, Michał phoe Herda (as phoe at disroot dot org) <[email protected]> wrote:



What is *DEFAULT-PATHNAME-DEFAULTS* on LW and SBCL? https://www.lispworks.com/documentation/HyperSpec/Body/v_defaul.htm

Asking because that is going to affect the value of LOAD-PATHNAME, as per https://www.lispworks.com/documentation/HyperSpec/Body/v_ld_pns.htm

Both are correct, I just suspect that the implementation-defined default is different.

W dniu 2026-02-20 17:12, Marco Antoniotti (as marco dot antoniotti at unimib dot it) napisał(a):

Hi

I am finding some issues with *load-pathname* and *load-truename*.

Here is what I see in LWM (8.x). I did a change-directory beforehand).

CL-USER 5 > (load "tmp/lpn.lisp")
; Loading text file /Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp
LPN: Test: *load-pathname* #P"tmp/lpn.lisp"
LPN: Test: *load-truename* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp"
#P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp"

CL-USER 6 > (load "tmp/Lpn.lisp")
; Loading text file /Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/Lpn.lisp
LPN: Test: *load-pathname* #P"tmp/Lpn.lisp"
LPN: Test: *load-truename* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/Lpn.lisp"
#P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/Lpn.lisp"

CL-USER 7 > (load "tmp/LPN.lisp")
; Loading text file /Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/LPN.lisp
LPN: Test: *load-pathname* #P"tmp/LPN.lisp"
LPN: Test: *load-truename* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/LPN.lisp"
#P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/LPN.lisp"

However, SCBL seems to be "more correct".

CL-USER> (load "tmp/lpn.lisp")
LPN: Test: *load-pathname* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp"
LPN: Test: *load-truename* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp"
T
CL-USER> (load "tmp/Lpn.lisp")
LPN: Test: *load-pathname* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/Lpn.lisp"
LPN: Test: *load-truename* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp"
T
CL-USER> (load "tmp/LPN.lisp")
LPN: Test: *load-pathname* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/LPN.lisp"
LPN: Test: *load-truename* #P"/Users/marcoxa/Projects/Lang/CL/HELambdaP/tmp/lpn.lisp"
T

The actual file is tmp/lpn.lisp and it is listed below.

(format t "LPN: Test: *load-pathname* ~S~%" *load-pathname*)
(format t "LPN: Test: *load-truename* ~S~%" *load-truename*)

Any thoughts?

Marco

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