Re: install problems

[Stroller <..hidden..>]

On 19 Apr 2007, at 17:11, 3worldimports wrote:
> ...
> On another note, it would be helpful if there was an install script
> that would check for the appropriate cpan modules. There are three
> different places that tell or provide modules: the download pre-reqs,
> the debian.readme, and running build test. In the readme, all modules
> are assumed to be available through normal repositories, but that is
> not the case at least for ubuntu, so some of those I had to download
> directly from cpan.
>
> Wouldn't it be easier to just write a script that uses cpan to check
> and install all modules?

I'm confused by your post because:

  2)  Check New Dependencies

  The Build.PL script can be used to test for unmet dependencies and
  run other tests.  It doesn't install anything yet, but it will tell
  you what you are missing.  To check for dependencies, run "perl
  Build.PL" from the command line.  Missing dependencies can generally
  be installed via a Linux distributor's package manager or by CPAN.

  [from the UPDATE file in ledgersmb-1.2.*.tar.gz]

I ran this and quite successfully met all the necessary dependencies,  
although I have to admit that it was not immediately obvious from its  
output which CPAN module met which dependency. I suspect this is the  
nature of CPAN rather than a failing of `perl Build.PL`, however.

My inclination would be opposed to "a script that uses cpan to check  
and install all modules".
Whereabouts on the filesystem would they go?
How would upgrades be handled?
Wouldn't they interfere with the CPAN modules supplied by my distro?

During the course of meeting L-SMB's dependencies I discovered that  
Gentoo's package manager didn't itself provide a package to meet one  
of the deps, but that it did offer a BRILLIANT alternative. Using the  
package manage one installs the "app-portage/g-cpan" package, then  
uses this to create a new ebuild (package) for the CPAN module one  
requires. IMO all distros should have something similar.

Stroller.


PS: it looks like the dependency I had trouble with was "Config-Std".  
Once I had the g-cpan package installed and looked it up on CPAN it  
became amazingly easy to install this dep.