Re^2: broke my perl? :(

[megnetz]

I think I understand what I did! In trying to move my script to the perl PATH I thought /usr/bin/perl was a directory and not the actual perl. So I wrote something like:

cp my_script /usr/bin/perl

Thus removing my perl and placing my_script there instead. So I guess reinstalling ubuntu is the way to go then...

[FloydATC]

Next time, if you want to plop a frequently used script in your path, consider placing it in the '/usr/local/bin' directory. This is a good place for non-standard tools and makes it easier for you to bring them with you when you migrate.

[megnetz]

Thanks for the tip! I already made a new directory and added it to my $PATH to make sure this doesn't happen again.

[JavaFan]

Reinstalling the OS just because you lost a file? Just install the package. Or copy it from a live CD. Or another ubuntu installation. Or compile your own perl. Or, gasp, restore from backup.

[Corion]

I think on Debian (and thus Ubuntu), apt-get and some other system-relevant programs still rely on /usr/bin/perl working. This would mean that installing any package likely won't work on that system.

I think that Debian plans/planned to remove the dependency on perl for apt-get, so maybe that will work in a recent version of Debian/Ubuntu. Restoring from backup would be the approach that's more likely to work.

[moritz]

If apt-get depends on perl, maybe the lower level program dpkg doesn't.

Downloading the .deb package manually then installing stuff with dpkg -i $deb_file has helped me to repair some Debian systems where apt wouldn't work anymore.