# Chibi Scheme

> small embeddable Scheme implementation

**Wikidata**: [Q108039409](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108039409)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/chibi-scheme

## Summary
Chibi Scheme is a small, embeddable implementation of the Scheme programming language designed for use in resource-constrained environments. It is free software distributed under the 3-clause BSD License and developed by Alex Shinn.

## Key Facts
- Chibi Scheme is a small embeddable Scheme implementation designed for resource-constrained environments
- The software is distributed under the 3-clause BSD License as free software
- Developer Alex Shinn maintains the project with source code available on GitHub
- First release (0.2) was published on June 22, 2009
- Latest tracked version is 0.7, released on June 29, 2014
- Available as packages in multiple operating systems including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Ubuntu, and Debian
- Supports BSD operating systems and is designed to be embeddable in other applications

## FAQs
### Q: What makes Chibi Scheme different from other Scheme implementations?
A: Chibi Scheme is specifically designed to be small and embeddable, making it suitable for resource-constrained environments where larger Scheme implementations would be impractical.

### Q: Is Chibi Scheme free to use and modify?
A: Yes, Chibi Scheme is free software distributed under the 3-clause BSD License, which allows users to freely run, study, change, and distribute the software and modified versions.

### Q: Where can I get Chibi Scheme?
A: Chibi Scheme is available through multiple package managers including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Ubuntu, and Debian, as well as directly from its GitHub repository at https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme.

### Q: What operating systems does Chibi Scheme support?
A: Chibi Scheme supports BSD operating systems and is available as ports/packages for FreeBSD, OpenBSD, and NetBSD.

### Q: Who created Chibi Scheme?
A: Chibi Scheme was created and is maintained by Alex Shinn, with the source code repository hosted on GitHub.

## Why It Matters
Chibi Scheme addresses a critical need in the programming language ecosystem by providing a lightweight, embeddable Scheme implementation that can run in environments where resources are limited. While many Scheme implementations prioritize feature completeness or performance, Chibi Scheme takes a different approach by focusing on minimal footprint and ease of integration into other applications. This makes it particularly valuable for embedded systems, scripting extensions, and situations where developers need Scheme's expressive power without the overhead of larger implementations. The project's commitment to being free software under a permissive license ensures broad accessibility and encourages community contribution and adaptation. Its availability across multiple BSD-based operating systems and major Linux distributions demonstrates its practical utility and widespread adoption in the open-source community.

## Notable For
- Designed specifically as a small, embeddable Scheme implementation for resource-constrained environments
- Maintained by Alex Shinn with consistent releases from 2009 to 2014
- Available across multiple operating systems including FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, Ubuntu, and Debian
- Distributed under the permissive 3-clause BSD License
- Supports BSD operating systems while maintaining cross-platform compatibility

## Body
### Development History
Chibi Scheme was first released on June 22, 2009 as version 0.2, with subsequent releases following regularly through version 0.7 on June 29, 2014. The project has maintained a steady development pace with multiple point releases within major version numbers, indicating active maintenance and refinement.

### Technical Architecture
As an embeddable implementation, Chibi Scheme is designed to be integrated into other applications rather than used as a standalone development environment. This architectural choice prioritizes small size and ease of integration over comprehensive feature sets found in larger Scheme implementations.

### Licensing and Distribution
The project uses the 3-clause BSD License, a permissive open-source license that allows for broad use and modification. This licensing choice aligns with the project's goal of being widely accessible and embeddable in various contexts.

### Platform Support
Chibi Scheme demonstrates strong cross-platform support, with availability as FreeBSD port (lang/chibi-scheme), OpenBSD port (lang/chibi-scheme), NetBSD package (lang/chibi-scheme), Ubuntu package (chibi-scheme), and Debian source package (chibi-scheme). This wide distribution indicates both the implementation's portability and its practical utility across different Unix-like systems.

### Community and Resources
The project maintains an active presence through its GitHub repository at https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme, which serves as the primary source code repository. A mailing list archive is available at https://groups.google.com/g/chibi-scheme for community discussion and support. The implementation is also available through Guix as the variable name "chibi-scheme" and has a SlackBuilds package for development purposes.

## References

1. [Release 0.2. 2009](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.2)
2. [Release 0.3. 2009](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.3)
3. [Release 0.4. 2011](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.4)
4. [Release 0.5. 2011](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.5)
5. [Release 0.5.1. 2011](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.5.1)
6. [Release 0.5.2. 2011](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.5.2)
7. [Release 0.5.3. 2011](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.5.3)
8. [Release 0.6. 2012](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.6)
9. [Release 0.6.1. 2012](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.6.1)
10. [Release 0.7. 2014](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.7)
11. [Release 0.7.1. 2014](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.7.1)
12. [Release 0.7.2. 2014](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.7.2)
13. [Release 0.7.3. 2015](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.7.3)
14. [Release 0.8. 2018](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.8)
15. [Release 0.9. 2020](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.9)
16. [Release 0.9.1. 2020](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.9.1)
17. [Release 0.10. 2021](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.10)
18. [Release 0.11. 2024](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.11)
19. [Release 0.12. 2026](https://github.com/ashinn/chibi-scheme/releases/tag/0.12)