The EDWIN option. This option extends Scheme with a source code (text) editor. It is built in the GNU standard way: ./configure ... make all make check make install The last command will attempt to create a subdirectory in the first directory on Scheme's library path. If that directory is not writable by you, super-user privileges may be required. You can put a writable directory at the front of your Scheme's library path by setting the MITSCHEME_LIBRARY_PATH environment variable and creating a short optiondb file. mkdir ~/.mit-scheme-x86-64 echo "(further-load-options #t)" > ~/.mit-scheme-x86-64/optiondb.scm export MITSCHEME_LIBRARY_PATH=\ ~/.mit-scheme-x86-64:/usr/local/lib/mit-scheme-x86-64 make install To use: call the global `edit' procedure, or specify --edit on the Scheme command line. For more information see the MIT/GNU Scheme User's Manual. Notes on the Edwin sources: If you want to add a new file to the source tree, you need to modify the following three files: decls.scm ed-ffi.scm edwin.pkg If the file should be loaded into the default edwin band, you must also edit the file: edwin.ldr If the file is to be autoloaded, you must edit the file: loadef.scm So, in either case, you have to change four files.