# Installing ORBLink

In order to install configure ORBLink, it is necessary to modify one file:

orblink-configure.cl
This file is located in the `code` subdirectory of the ACL home directory - the same directory in which orblink.fasl is located. ORBLink will run out-of-the box with no installation steps. However, in order to generate object references that can be used by programs in other internet domains, you need to apprise ORBLink of the internet domain to use in these object references. In most cases, it is sufficient to complete the installation by modifying the string indicating the domain in orblink-configure.cl:

    (setf
        (op:domain corba:orb)
      ""   ; This may be modified to the actual domain,
           ;  for example, "franz.com"
     )

However, sometimes the default rules used by ORBLink to generate a fully-qualified hostname from a domain name do not work. In this case, you should set the IP of the host on which ORBLink is to be run directly as described in orblink-configure.cl:

     (setf (op:host corba;orb)
       "" ; Replace with, e.g., "192.0.0.2"
          ;  for the Internet address or fully-qualified
          ;  IP address of the given host
      )

By default these lines are commented out. A natural question is: how can I be sure if the default method suffices? The simplest way: from a Lisp listener evaluate:

         (require :orblink)
         corba:orb

This should print a description of the ORB, for example:

    ORBLINK:ORB Allegro ORBLink :version 1.0 :host "corba.franz.com" :user "stiller"

The "host" field here should denote the fully qualified hostname of the host on which ORBLink is to be run. If it does not so denote, then you should set the host explicitly. This method also provides a simple check that the installation is successful.