After asking the monks what do they think about a Larger Perl distributions I have started to work on one.

Before going too much in the wrong direction I'd like to have a view on how various Perl distributions on different Operating systems (or OS Distributions) handle the process of installing (and uninstalling) the core Perl distribution and Perl modules from CPAN. As I don't have a wide experience with OS-es I'd appreciate your help in collecting this information.

To start with something I describe what I know. Or rather what I think I know. Please correct me where I am wrong and add more descriptions, or just point to pages where I can find the description.

ActiveState

ActiveState basically has 3 Perl distributions for 3 platforms:

• Win32
• Linux
• Solaris

ActiveState on Win32

I have only used their Win32 distribution

1. They take the standard Perl distributions
2. sometimes apply some patches to the core
3. add a few platform independent CPAN modules
4. add a few Win32 specific modules
5. make the installation location independent, that is, you can install it anywhere on your hard disk

They provide easy installation of additional pre-compiled CPAN modules via a command line tool called ppm. There are certain CPAN modules they don't distribute (e.g. the encryption related ones and those that fail their build system) for what you can usually find alternate ppm repositories.

ActiveState on Linux and Solaris

Are they different ?

Mandrake Linux

They have separated the core perl installation into several packages. (but what packages ?) The provide install/uninstal of Perl Modules via their standard RPM packaging.
How often do they update the RPMs from CPAN ?

Debian GNU/Linux

Debian (stable) has split the standard perl into 3 packages:

• perl-base
• perl-modules
• perl-doc

Then for every CPAN module they also create a .deb package that you can install/uninstall with the standard Debian tools such as aptitude.
I am not sure how exactly is the core perl separated into the 3 packages. I don't know how often the .debs are updated from CPAN and if all the CPAN modules can be found as .debs

Perl source

Let me also describe the standard perl for the sake of completeness. The source code of the standard Perl distribution can be downloaded from CPAN compiled and installed anywhere on your hard disk. Then one can use the CPAN.pm module to install further modules.

Solaris

Read these messages starting here: How perl is shoehorned into Solaris

What about

• FreeBSD
• OpenBSD
• OpenBSD
• RedHat
• Cygwin
• AIX
• WinCE
• NetWare
• IndigoPerl
• ...

just to name a few ?

BTW there is a mailing list called perl-dist dealing with perl distributions. So if this subject is of interest to you, you might want to join it.

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