--- a/Makefile.in	
+++ a/Makefile.in	
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ COPY_SOURCES_TGZ: COPY_SOURCES
 	cd ../distr/build; tar -czf $(tm_devel).tar.gz $(tm_devel) 
 
 COPY_GUILE:
-	GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config info pkgdatadir`; \
+	GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config-1.8 info pkgdatadir`; \
 	export GUILE_DATA_PATH; \
 	GUILE_LOAD_PATH=`find $$GUILE_DATA_PATH -type d | grep ice-9`; \
 	export GUILE_LOAD_PATH; \
@@ -521,7 +521,7 @@ WINDOWS_BUNDLE: TEXMACS
 	$(MV) $(WINDOWS_BUILD_DIR)/bin/texmacs.bin \
 	$(WINDOWS_BUILD_DIR)/bin/texmacs.exe
 	$(RM) -r $(WINDOWS_BUILD_DIR)/bin/texmacs
-	GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config info pkgdatadir`; \
+	GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config-1.8 info pkgdatadir`; \
 	export GUILE_DATA_PATH; \
 	GUILE_LOAD_PATH=`find $$GUILE_DATA_PATH -type d | grep ice-9`; \
 	export GUILE_LOAD_PATH; \
--- a/aclocal.m4	
+++ a/aclocal.m4	
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([GUILE_FLAGS],[
 ## The GUILE_FLAGS macro.
   ## First, let's just see if we can find Guile at all.
   AC_MSG_CHECKING(for Guile)
-  guile-config link > /dev/null || {
-    echo "configure: cannot find guile-config; is Guile installed?" 1>&2
+  guile-config-1.8 link > /dev/null || {
+    echo "configure: cannot find guile-config-1.8; is Guile installed?" 1>&2
     exit 1
   }
-  GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS="`guile-config compile`"
+  GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 compile`"
   GUILE_CFLAGS="$GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS"
   GUILE_VARIANT_CFLAGS="$GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS $GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS/guile $GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS/libguile"
-  GUILE_LDFLAGS="`guile-config link`"
-  GUILE_VARIANT_LDFLAGS="-L`guile-config info libdir` -lguile -lreadline -ltermcap"
+  GUILE_LDFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 link`"
+  GUILE_VARIANT_LDFLAGS="-L`guile-config-1.8 info libdir` -lguile -lreadline -ltermcap"
   AC_SUBST(GUILE_CFLAGS)
   AC_SUBST(GUILE_LDFLAGS)
   AC_MSG_RESULT(yes)
--- a/cmake/FindGuile.cmake	
+++ a/cmake/FindGuile.cmake	
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@ 
 #  Guile_LIBRARIES - link these to use Freetype
 #  Guile_VERSION_STRING - version of Guile
 
-FIND_PROGRAM(GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES guile-config )
+FIND_PROGRAM(GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE NAMES guile-config-1.8 )
 
-# if guile-config has been found
+# if guile-config-1.8 has been found
 IF(GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
 
   EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE} link 
     OUTPUT_VARIABLE _guileconfigDevNull RESULT_VARIABLE _return_VALUE  )
 
-  # and if the package of interest also exists for guile-config, then get the information
+  # and if the package of interest also exists for guile-config-1.8, then get the information
   IF(NOT _return_VALUE)
 
     EXECUTE_PROCESS(COMMAND ${GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE}  link 
@@ -80,13 +80,13 @@ IF(GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
     
   ELSE( NOT _return_VALUE)
 
-    MESSAGE(STATUS "guile-config not working; I assume guile is not installed.")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "guile-config-1.8 not working; I assume guile is not installed.")
 
   ENDIF(NOT _return_VALUE)
 
 ELSE(GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
 
-    MESSAGE(STATUS "guile-config not found; I assume guile is not installed.")
+    MESSAGE(STATUS "guile-config-1.8 not found; I assume guile is not installed.")
 
 
 ENDIF(GUILECONFIG_EXECUTABLE)
--- a/configure	
+++ a/configure	
@@ -3941,15 +3941,15 @@ if test -z "$GUILE_CFLAGS" -a -z "$GUILE_LDFLAGS"; then
   ## First, let's just see if we can find Guile at all.
   { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking for Guile" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking for Guile... " >&6; }
-  guile-config link > /dev/null || {
-    echo "configure: cannot find guile-config; is Guile installed?" 1>&2
+  guile-config-1.8 link > /dev/null || {
+    echo "configure: cannot find guile-config-1.8; is Guile installed?" 1>&2
     exit 1
   }
-  GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS="`guile-config compile`"
+  GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 compile`"
   GUILE_CFLAGS="$GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS"
   GUILE_VARIANT_CFLAGS="$GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS $GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS/guile $GUILE_ORIGINAL_CFLAGS/libguile"
-  GUILE_LDFLAGS="`guile-config link`"
-  GUILE_VARIANT_LDFLAGS="-L`guile-config info libdir` -lguile -lreadline -ltermcap"
+  GUILE_LDFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 link`"
+  GUILE_VARIANT_LDFLAGS="-L`guile-config-1.8 info libdir` -lguile -lreadline -ltermcap"
 
 
   { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: yes" >&5
@@ -3966,7 +3966,7 @@ $as_echo "$GUILE_VERSION" >&6; }
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking guile data path" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking guile data path... " >&6; }
 if test -z "$GUILE_DATA_PATH" ; then
-  GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config info pkgdatadir`
+  GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config-1.8 info pkgdatadir`
 fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: result: $GUILE_DATA_PATH" >&5
 $as_echo "$GUILE_DATA_PATH" >&6; }
@@ -6139,7 +6139,7 @@ fi
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking whether ... arguments behave correctly" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking whether ... arguments behave correctly... " >&6; }
 if test -z "$GUILE_CFLAGS"; then
-  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config compile`"
+  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 compile`"
 else
   CXXFLAGS="$GUILE_CFLAGS"
 fi
@@ -6181,7 +6181,7 @@ CXXFLAGS=""
 { $as_echo "$as_me:${as_lineno-$LINENO}: checking the size_t of guile strings" >&5
 $as_echo_n "checking the size_t of guile strings... " >&6; }
 if test -z "$GUILE_CFLAGS"; then
-  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config compile`"
+  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 compile`"
 else
   CXXFLAGS="$GUILE_CFLAGS"
 fi
--- a/configure.in	
+++ a/configure.in	
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT($GUILE_VERSION)
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(guile data path)
 if test -z "$GUILE_DATA_PATH" ; then
-  GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config info pkgdatadir`
+  GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config-1.8 info pkgdatadir`
 fi
 AC_MSG_RESULT($GUILE_DATA_PATH)
 
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ fi
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(whether ... arguments behave correctly)
 if test -z "$GUILE_CFLAGS"; then
-  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config compile`"
+  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 compile`"
 else
   CXXFLAGS="$GUILE_CFLAGS"
 fi
@@ -466,7 +466,7 @@ CXXFLAGS=""
 
 AC_MSG_CHECKING(the size_t of guile strings)
 if test -z "$GUILE_CFLAGS"; then
-  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config compile`"
+  CXXFLAGS="`guile-config-1.8 compile`"
 else
   CXXFLAGS="$GUILE_CFLAGS"
 fi
--- a/packages/redhat/TeXmacs.spec	
+++ a/packages/redhat/TeXmacs.spec	
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ make STATIC_TEXMACS
 
 %install
 make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT install
-export GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config info pkgdatadir`
+export GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config-1.8 info pkgdatadir`
 export GUILE_LOAD_PATH=`find $GUILE_DATA_PATH -type d | grep ice-9`
 cp -r -f $GUILE_LOAD_PATH $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_datadir}/TeXmacs/progs
 chmod -f 644 $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_datadir}/TeXmacs/progs/ice-9/*
--- a/packages/redhat/TeXmacs.spec.in	
+++ a/packages/redhat/TeXmacs.spec.in	
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ make STATIC_TEXMACS
 
 %install
 make DESTDIR=$RPM_BUILD_ROOT install
-export GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config info pkgdatadir`
+export GUILE_DATA_PATH=`guile-config-1.8 info pkgdatadir`
 export GUILE_LOAD_PATH=`find $GUILE_DATA_PATH -type d | grep ice-9`
 cp -r -f $GUILE_LOAD_PATH $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_datadir}/TeXmacs/progs
 chmod -f 644 $RPM_BUILD_ROOT%{_datadir}/TeXmacs/progs/ice-9/*
--- a/src/System/Boot/init_texmacs.cpp	
+++ a/src/System/Boot/init_texmacs.cpp	
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ init_guile () {
   /*
   if (!exists ("$GUILE_LOAD_PATH/ice-9/boot-9.scm")) {
     int i;
-    string guile_data    = var_eval_system ("guile-config info datadir");
+    string guile_data    = var_eval_system ("guile-config-1.8 info datadir");
     string guile_version = var_eval_system ("guile --version");
     for (i=0; i<N(guile_version); i++)
       if (guile_version[i] == '\n') break;
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ init_guile () {
       if (guile_version[i-1] == ' ') break;
     guile_version= guile_version (i, N (guile_version));
     if (guile_version == "") {
-      var_eval_system ("guile-config info top_srcdir");
+      var_eval_system ("guile-config-1.8 info top_srcdir");
       for (i=N(guile_version); i>0; i--)
 	if (guile_version[i-1] == '-') break;
       guile_version= guile_version (i, N (guile_version));