Just for the heck of it, I installed SBCL from a package. Worked fine. But then I tried to use it in SLIME (latest version from CVS). No go.
* ;; Swank started at port: 32880.
debugger invoked on a SIMPLE-ERROR in thread 3084629696:
There is no applicable method for the generic function
#<STANDARD-GENERIC-FUNCTION SWANK-BACKEND:SPAWN (0)>
when called with arguments
(# :NAME "Swank").
Type HELP for debugger help, or (SB-EXT:QUIT) to exit from SBCL.
restarts (invokable by number or by possibly-abbreviated name):
0: [ABORT] Exit debugger, returning to top level.
((SB-PCL::FAST-METHOD NO-APPLICABLE-METHOD (T))
#<unavailable argument>
#<unavailable argument>
#<STANDARD-GENERIC-FUNCTION SWANK-BACKEND:SPAWN (0)>
(#<CLOSURE # {958D2AD}> :NAME "Swank"))

Hi Marc,
That combination works fine for me.
BTW, you can get SBCL by adding this repository to Synaptic:
http://people.debian.org/~pvaneynd/cl-dapper-packages
This is more up-to-date than the default SBCL and has other useful packages,
Cheers,
Keith
Hey – found this link that got it working for me:
http://common-lisp.net/pipermail/slime-devel/2005-October/004200.html
Essentially, all you do is add:
(setf swank:*communication-style* :fd-handler)
to your ~/.swank.lisp file. Good luck!