Remora is a lightweight alternative to ASDF for managing Lisp system definitions and dependencies. Benchmark tests show that Remora can load the Hunchentoot system faster than ASDF, taking 29.572 seconds versus 36.464 seconds for ASDF. However, Remora uses more memory, allocating 304,207,024 bytes compared to 313,210,864 bytes for ASDF. Running Remora's tasks in parallel can further reduce the load time for Hunchentoot to 12.257 seconds but increases memory allocation to 2,952,899,360 bytes.

1. Remora

2. Remora

3. Remora
asdf

4. Remora
is
faster
lightweight
asdf

5. Bench asdf vs remora
to load hunchentoot on ccl.
Asdf
● 36.464 sec
● 313,210,864 bytes of
memory allocated.
Remora
● 29.572 sec
● 304,207,024 bytes of
memory allocated.

6. What asdf/remora doing.
asdf
● Search asd file.
● Load asd file.
● Make asdf:system.
● Planning.
● Do tasks.
remora
● Search asd file.
● Read from asd file.
● Make remora:system.
● Planning.
● Do tasks.

7. Asdf vs Remora
How many slots
Asdf
● 34
Remora
● 7

8. Asdf vs remora
total code lines
Asdf
● 4887
Remora
● 794

9. Structure vs Class
Cost of making one slot instance
Structure
● 4,057 processor
cycles (on sbcl)
● 16 bytes of memory
allocated (on ccl)
Class
● 46,127,284 processor
cycles (on sbcl)
● 328 bytes of memory
allocated (on ccl)

10. Planning.
Asdf
● Using plan class
object.
● Depth first strategy(?)
Remora
● Using list as graph.
● Topological sort.

11. tsort.
● ((babel . (trivial-features alexandria))
(trivial-features . ())
(alexandria . ()))
↓
● ((trivial-features alexandria)(babel))

12. Tasks.
● Compile if needed.
● Load if needed.

13. Meaning of 'if needed'.
Compile
● Still not compiled.
● Source file newer than
fasl cache.
● Source file which
depends on was
modified.
● Dependent system
newer than system.
Load
● Still not loaded.
● File re/compiled.

14. Heavy tasks
● Compiling file.
● Getting file time stamp.
● Making directory.
● Printing to stream.

15. Bench asdf vs remora again
to load hunchentoot on ccl.
Asdf
● 36.464 sec
● 313,210,864 bytes of
memory allocated.
Remora with parallel
● 12.257 sec
● 2,952,899,360 bytes
of memory allocated.