[Newbies] How to install packages? Scamper chicken and egg problem

John Koger joviko at gmail.com
Mon Dec 31 12:37:59 UTC 2007

Hi there,

I'm very new to Squeak, so this is probably just the result of me
doing something dumb. I'm having a hard time installing any packages.

Here's what I've done:

1. Downloaded and installed Squeak3.9-7067mac vm 3.8.18beta1U

2. Double-clicked on "Squeak3.9-final-7067.image" file. The Squeak VM
started up just fine.

3. From the "Welcome to Squeak - an open Smalltalk system" window,
clicked on "SMLoader open" to run the SqueakMap Package Loader.

4. Selected a package, any package.  Let's say "15-Puzzle (->1.1)",
the first one in the list.

5. Clicked on the expansion arrow for "15-Puzzle (->1.1).

6. Clicked on the "1.1" subheading.

7. Clicked on the "Download:" link in the right-hand (description) window pane.

8. A pop-up window appeared: "Open a browser to view this URL?" Clicked "Yes".

9. A pop-up warning appeared: "There are no WebBrowser applications
registered." Clicked "OK".

10. A pop-up window appeared: "Couldn't find a web browser. View page
as source?" Clicked "Cancel".

Hmmmm. OK, well, it is a bit surprising that the web browser isn't
included in the base image, but never mind, I'll just install it
first. I remember seeing somewhere that the browser is called

11. Scrolled down in SMLoader to "Scamper (->12)", clicked on
expansion arrowhead, clicked on "12" subheading.

12. Copied "http://www.squeaksource.com/Scamper/Scamper-kfr.12.mcz"
into my Firefox browser and download the file. (Did the "copy" by
hand; could select the text of the filename, but couldn't Copy it.)

13. Put the "Scamper-kfr.12.mcz" file in the "Squeak3.9-7067mac vm
3.8.18beta1U" directory.

14. Flailed around, trying to figure out how to get Squeak to open the
file. Eventually just drag-and-dropped the file onto the Squeak

15. A pop-up window appeared: "open in zip viewer / extract all to ...
/ load". Select "load" (it sounded like what I wanted).

16. A pop-up window appeared: "loading snapshot/source.st".

Now we're getting somewhere! Or are we? Where is the browser? OK, it's
loaded but not instantiated or something. I need to select it from one
of Squeak's many browsers. Objects, maybe?

17. Clicked on the "objects" flap.

18. Clicked on "alphabetic".

19. Clicked on "s".

20. A window came up: "MessageNotUnderstood: UndefinedObject>>parse:".
First line in window is "UndefinedObject(Object)>>doesNotUnderstand:

Um, that's not good. OK, I give. How do I install Scamper? Or any
package, for that matter?

John Koger

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