Re^5: cpanplus not functioning right in a multiple-Perl installation setup?

[Corion]

Most likely, CPANPLUS stores user configuration data where all programs store user configuration data. In a directory below $ENV{USERPROFILE}. In your case, I would look at files below C:\Documents and Settings\Helen\.cpanplus.

Most likely, the config files there reference the "other" directories. But then, I already recommended using a "search in files" facility in my previous post. My guess is that there are configuration settings in one file there that still have the values for the "other" Perl.

My issue is not with how you installed your second Perl instance, but with your steps to diagnose the issue. The answers to your key questions are likely answered by reading the documentation of CPANPLUS. It's good that you repeat these questions here, but I think you could also find the answers. You may consider it a bug that CPANPLUS maybe follows whatever is specified in its configuration files, or that CPANPLUS only keeps one configuration file per user instead of keeping one per user-per Perl version. But you've already been told what facility of your operating system could help you find out more about where such configuration could be found, or if the "search-in-files" functionality does not work, what other approaches there are.

You could also review the output of the installation process and check what directories are named there. This could have led you to a diagnosis at least one round of trying to install modules earlier.

Note that by installing modules with a newer Perl version into the "other" directories, you most likely now have broken the "older" Perl installation, at least if you used the newer Perl to install modules which require a C compiler, like Wx. I recommend looking for a backup of that "other" directory.

[HelenCr]

OK, I solved it. What needed to be done was, to clear the CPANPLUS cache (whatever that is), by entering "x" at the cpanp prompt. Apparently cpanp keeps a cache somewhere (and I don't think it's under the
C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\.cpanplus\
tree), and that cache contains configuration parameters, including the current (=default) Perl installation top directory.

Also, after extensive googling, quite far away in a search result list, I have found this:

Read more... (621 Bytes)

(URL: http://cpanplus.sourceforge.net/faq.html#b)

So, conclusions:

1. Installing several Perl versions is ok and supported
2. CAPNPLUS supports working in a multi-perl installation environment, but you must clear the "CPANPLUS cache" when shifting from one installation to the other (or use some other alternatives listed in that URL)
3. CPANPLUS documentation is meager and practically non-existent. I found the URL quoted above by accident, and its parent URL is broken.

That has been an excruciating experience. I have spent days wrestling with this.

Many thanks to all PerlMonks trying to help, offering advice - Helen

[Anonymous Monk]

2) .... but you must clear the "CPANPLUS cache" when shifting from one installation to the other (or use some other alternatives listed in that URL)

No you don't. Unless you go out of your way to disable automatic index refreshing, refreshing indexes isn't needed, it happens automatically when necessary.

3) CPANPLUS documentation is meager and practically non-existent. I found the URL quoted above by accident, and its parent URL is broken.

Not true, this conclusion isn't supported by reality.

That page you found via googling is dated from 2002, 11 years ago. It is outdated and obsolete.

The cpanp/CPANPLUS/File::Fetch documentation is current , complete, comprehensive.

it shows (the same as cpanp help )  x                   # reload CPAN indices