Current Release
The current release of SML/NJ is Version 110, originally introduced in February 1998. Version 110 runs under Unix, Windows 95 or Windows NT. (The the current release version number is 110.0.7, representing the 7th patch release of 110, but we will refer to this version as 110 for short. )
Installation Instructions
To download and install SML/NJ 110, follow these
installation instructions.
The Distribution Files
NOTE: the names of the distribution files have changed in 110.0.7; the tarball files no longer have a "110-" prefix.The files making up the Version 110 distribution are available via http using this index page. The following sites mirror the distributions (if you run a mirror site not listed here, please let us know):
- Stanford University (California)
- Yale University (Connecticut)
- DIKU (Denmark)
- Cambridge (UK)
- SunSITE (UK)
- National Technical Univ. of Athens (Greece)
- KAIST (Korea)
- Vienna Univ. of Technology, Austria ( ftp version)
Previous Release
Users of the previous release, Version 0.93 (released in 1993) should migrate to Version 110 as soon as possible. Version 0.93 is available but is no longer supported. However, for the time being it is the only version that runs on Apple Macintoshes (on 68K machines, or PowerMacs under emulation with the aid of SoftwareFPU).Potential Downloading Problems (Bell Labs site)
We have had reports of distribution files being corrupted when downloaded via a web browser. Using ftp directly may be more reliable, but be warned that Bell Labs ftp service is incompatible with some firewalls. The ftp service on ftp.research.bell-labs.com uses special stripped-down server software for security. This implementation deviates from the RFC standards in that the data call-back circuit does not originate from port 20 on the server host. Some firewalls count on this in their filtering rules. If the dir (ls) command doesn't work, this is probably the reason why. However, most ftp accesses (including browsers) these days use the passive command PASV, which has a better security model for a firewall. If all else fails, try one of the mirror sites listed above.
Working Versions
Working versions are created for internal development purposes and vary in reliability and stability. Some are robust enough for noncritical research use, others are not. Please pay careful attention to the README or NEWS file for each version before attempting to use it. These working versions can be found at ftp.research.bell-labs.com.
We generally announce new versions (including working versions) on
comp.lang.ml, comp.lang.functional, freshmeat.net, and our
development mailing list 
.
The following table gives access to README files for recent working versions and the ftp directories for working versions that are currently available for downloading. The installation instructions for the release version will generally work, mutatis mutandis, for working versions.
After version 110.9.1, the older "cmachine" (i.e. non-MLRISC) code generators have been eliminated, so a more limited range of architectures will be supported until the new MLRISC code generators are implemented. Other major changes involving FLINT and the transition to a new runtime system are under way, so expect some instability after 110.9.1.
Recent Working Versions
Packages
The directory
ftp://ftp.research.bell-labs.com/dist/smlnj/packages/.contains software packages that are not part of the core SML/NJ distribution. Currently, this directory contains:
- ckit, a C front end.
Benchmarks
A set of programs used as a "benchmark suite" for Standard ML is available at:
ftp://ftp.research.bell-labs.com/dist/smlnj/benchmarks/.
SML/NJ Compiler Test Suites
The regression test suites used for the SML/NJ compiler are available at:
ftp://ftp.research.bell-labs.com/dist/smlnj/testing/.
Contributed Software
Some contributed software packages can be found at
ftp://ftp.research.bell-labs.com/dist/smlnj/contrib/.Currently this directory contains:
- emacs
- The sml-mode package provides an emacs mode for editing
sml code under Gnu emacs and running the sml top-level as a subprocess of
emacs. Originally developed by Matthew J. Morley, it is now maintained
by Stefan Monnier
. The latest version is 3.9.5 (Dec 22, 2000).
Online documentation is available here. The latest sml-mode tarball
is available at
Yale and is mirrored at
Bell Labs.
- tools
- Various software tools, including:
- heap2exec, Lorenz Huelsbergen's "heap2exec" utility for building Unix executables from heap images and the SML/NJ runtime executable.
- lexgenmos.tar.Z, a translation of the Moscow ML lexer generator, which produces lexers that run a bit faster than the improved ML-Lex in working version 110.7.
- lib
- Some contributed or "borrowed" libraries, including:
- CGI.tar.Z, a port of Moscow ML's CGI library.
- Util.tar.Z, utility modules contributed by Nikolai Bjorner and Matthias Blume.
- getopt.tar.Z, a port (via Haskell) of the GNU getopt library.
Additional packages will be added as they become available. New contributions are eagerly sought!