# Getting closer to a "normal" distribution from a minimal build
**URL:** https://racket.discourse.group/t/getting-closer-to-a-normal-distribution-from-a-minimal-build/2502
**Category:** Internals
**Tags:** question, racket, chez, build
**Created:** [November 16, 2023, 6:03am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/getting-closer-to-a-normal-distribution-from-a-minimal-build/2502 "2023-11-16T06:03:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@abhillman](https://racket.discourse.group/u/abhillman)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2023, 6:03am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/getting-closer-to-a-normal-distribution-from-a-minimal-build/2502/1 "2023-11-16T06:03:01Z")
[github.com/racket/racket](https://github.com/racket/racket) has two principal ways of building:
- running `make` from the [root](https://github.com/racket/racket/tree/7ed81eba162ba6af41e7522d54231df09b7ff186) of the repository with appropriate additional flags (e.g. `make unix-style PREFIX=` as documented in [build.md](https://github.com/racket/racket/blob/master/build.md#14-quick-instructions-unix-style-install))
- running `make` from [`racket/src`](https://github.com/racket/racket/tree/7ed81eba162ba6af41e7522d54231df09b7ff186/racket/src), which produces a `more "minimal" than a "Minimal Racket"` (e.g. via the instructions in [build.md](https://github.com/racket/racket/blob/7ed81eba162ba6af41e7522d54231df09b7ff186/build.md#171-building-minimal-racket) or in the more documented [racket/src/readme.txt](https://github.com/racket/racket/blob/7ed81eba162ba6af41e7522d54231df09b7ff186/racket/src/README.txt))
When building `minimal` racket, indeed, it is minimal; for example, the CLI-based REPL (i.e. invoked via `racket` or `racket-cs`) does not have keybindings available such as the ability to move forward a word with [alt]-[right arrow].
Is there any documentation, besides reading source, on how to make a minimal distribution, well... non-minimal?
I am particularly interested in making the CLI-based REPL behave more like a "normal" build if a full explanation would be quite involved to offer.
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### Author:  [@abhillman](https://racket.discourse.group/u/abhillman)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2023, 6:11am UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/getting-closer-to-a-normal-distribution-from-a-minimal-build/2502/2 "2023-11-16T06:11:36Z")
Oops, just to clarify. I do see that one can run `raco pkg install -i racket-lib` as documented in `racket/src/readme.txt`.
The thing that confuses me about this is two things:
- isn't this installed globally already if I have an installation of racket managed by my distribution's package manager?
- I _think_ I'm still seeing the REPL act in a minimal-like fashion (e.g. the [alt]-[left key] not working example mentioned above)
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### Author:  [@benknoble](https://racket.discourse.group/u/benknoble)
#### Post date: [November 16, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://racket.discourse.group/t/getting-closer-to-a-normal-distribution-from-a-minimal-build/2502/3 "2023-11-16T14:19:00Z")
For the REPL, you need xrepl and (optionally?) expeditor. I can’t recall which packages those are in, but the online docs will tell you.