Q1: I want to hack my programs! How can I have my own repository?

A1: Just create a shadow-tree with symlinks or CVS in you
homedirectory and add an overriding translation in you startup
script. Like:

; my ~/.cmucl-init.cl file:
(load "/var/lib/cmucl/site-init.lisp")

(format t "Hello Peter!~%")

(add-translation :cl-library
                 "/home/pvaneynd/hemlock/"
                 (make-pathname :directory '(:relative "CMUCL-HEMLOCK"
                                             :wild-inferiors)
                                :type "FASL"
                                :case :common))
(add-translation :cl-library
                 "/home/pvaneynd/hemlock/"
                 (make-pathname :directory '(:relative "CMUCL-HEMLOCK"
                                             :wild-inferiors)
                                :type "X86F"
                                :case :common))
(add-translation :cl-library
                 "/home/pvaneynd/hemlock/"
                 (make-pathname :directory '(:relative "CMUCL-HEMLOCK"
                                             :wild-inferiors)
                                :type "ERR"
                                :case :common))
(add-translation :cl-library
                 "/home/pvaneynd/hemlock/"
                 (make-pathname :directory '(:relative "CMUCL-HEMLOCK"
                                             :wild-inferiors)
                                :type "BIN"
                                :case :common))

Q2: This sucks: register-common-lisp-source foo worked, but now
(require :foo) doesn't!

A2: Maybe the build failed. Make your lisp stop on errror. For cmucl
comment the "-batch -quiet" parameters out in
/usr/lib/common-lisp/bin/cmucl-*.sh. Then you'll be droped in the
debugger.