How do I install ocicl on Debian or Ubuntu?

Download the .deb package from the GitHub releases page and install it with apt, then run 'ocicl setup' to configure the runtime. Detailed steps are in the Linux Packages section of the README.

ocicl vs Quicklisp: which should I use for Common Lisp?

Choose ocicl if you need OCI-based security, reproducible builds, and integrated tooling like linting and SBOMs. Quicklisp is better for its vast, established ecosystem and simplicity, but lacks ocicl's modern features.

How to create a new Common Lisp project with ocicl templates?

Use 'ocicl new APP-NAME [TEMPLATE]' with optional key-value pairs; templates are processed with cl-template and support variable substitution. Built-in templates include 'basic', and you can list them with 'ocicl templates list'.

Can ocicl work offline or behind a proxy?

Yes, set up a self-hosted registry using tools like Zot for offline caching, and configure proxy settings via HTTPS_PROXY environment variables. The Self-Hosting and Proxy Configuration sections cover this.

How to verify package signatures with ocicl and sigstore?

Signatures are automatically verified via sigstore integration; you can manually check using oras to pull .sig files and verify with GPG, as shown in the Security section with rekor-cli examples.

Does ocicl support Roswell or other Lisp managers?

It can be integrated by adding the runtime load to Roswell's init.lisp, but the CLI tool installation via package managers is limited to Homebrew, MacPorts, or source builds, not native Roswell support.

Open-Awesome

ocicl

MITCommon Lispv2.16.13

An OCI-based package manager and development tool for Common Lisp, providing ASDF system distribution, code linting, and project scaffolding.

GitHub

294 stars24 forks0 contributors

What is ocicl?

ocicl is an OCI-based package manager and development tool for Common Lisp. It provides modern ASDF system distribution and management by packaging Lisp libraries as OCI-compliant artifacts, solving dependency management and security concerns in traditional Lisp development workflows. The tool includes integrated code linting, project scaffolding, and comprehensive software supply chain features.

Target Audience

Common Lisp developers seeking secure, reproducible dependency management and modern development tooling. Teams requiring software supply chain transparency through SBOM generation and license collection.

Value Proposition

Developers choose ocicl for its OCI-based approach that brings container ecosystem benefits to Lisp development, including sigstore verification for security, project-local dependency locking for reproducibility, and integrated tooling like linting and SBOM generation that streamline development workflows.

Overview

An OCI-based ASDF system distribution and management tool for Common Lisp

Use Cases

Best For

Managing Common Lisp dependencies with OCI-based artifact distribution
Ensuring software supply chain security with sigstore verification
Creating reproducible builds through project-local dependency locking
Linting Common Lisp code with auto-fix capabilities
Generating SBOM documents for compliance requirements
Self-hosting package registries for enterprise environments

Not Ideal For

Teams heavily invested in Quicklisp's ecosystem and community tools
Developers using Lisp implementations not listed as supported (e.g., CCL or others beyond abcl, ecl, SBCL, Allegro)
Projects requiring immediate access to a vast library of packages without manual addition requests
Environments with strict network policies blocking OCI registries and no self-hosting capability

Pros & Cons

Pros

Secure OCI Distribution

Packages are distributed as OCI artifacts with TLS and sigstore verification, ensuring integrity and authenticity through transparency logs, as highlighted in the Security section.

Reproducible Dependency Locking

Project-local ocicl.csv files lock specific versions, enabling reproducible builds by committing only the CSV file, not the downloaded code, as demonstrated in the Lisp Usage section.

Integrated Development Tooling

Includes a linter with auto-fix for 49 rules, SBOM generation, license collection, and AI-generated change summaries, reducing the need for external tools.

Self-Hosting Flexibility

Supports mirroring to custom OCI registries using tools like skopeo, allowing enterprise deployment or offline caching, as explained in the Self-Hosting section.

Cons

Limited Package Ecosystem

Systems must be requested via a separate GitHub issue tracker, and the available list is smaller than Quicklisp's, potentially missing niche libraries.

Platform and Implementation Restrictions

The CLI tool must be built with SBCL on specific OSes (Linux, Windows, MacOS), and runtime support is limited to four Lisp implementations, hindering portability.

Complex Setup and TLS Configuration

Requires manual edits to Lisp startup files and troubleshooting TLS issues with pure-tls or OpenSSL backends, which can be daunting for new users.

Open Source Alternative To

ocicl is an open-source alternative to the following products:

Quicklisp

Quicklisp is a library manager for Common Lisp that simplifies the process of finding, installing, and loading Lisp libraries and dependencies.

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