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in reply to Re^2: Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option
in thread Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option

I've never had anyone actually show me a situation where PREFIX failed, and I've helped a lot of people install a lot of modules all over the world.

I pretty much depend on PREFIX to do the right thing for all of my modules, and I've never had a complaint about it, either from my public modules or the private things I deliver to clients.

Has anyone experienced a situation where PREFIX didn't do anything or did the wrong thing? What were the details of the set-up? Is the frequency of this on the order or neutrino interactions with other matter?

--
brian d foy <brian@stonehenge.com>

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Re^4: Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option
by merlyn (Sage) on May 18, 2005 at 17:42 UTC
    In fairness, PREFIX works as long as you don't mess with any of the dependent values (bin, lib, man), or as long as you keep them definitely below the PREFIX. The brokenness that people occasionally experience is when they want /usr/local/bin, /usr/local/lib, but then /usr/man/manl. If they set that up, then set PREFIX, there's no common PREFIX to those and things get dicey.

    -- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker
    Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.

Re^4: Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option
by dragonchild (Archbishop) on May 18, 2005 at 17:45 UTC

      I don't really buy that. We don't have to satisfy every possible installation requirement in PREFIX. We document what it does, and we leave it at that. It sets the root directory. You only get to do that once. Whatever you set is what you get. As for it's actual effect between MakeMaker versions 5.x and 6.x, who's fault is that, eh? :)

      If the documented PREFIX doesn't work for you, you don't use PREFIX. However, it works for a lot of people who aren't so picky about such things.

      One of the key talents in a software developer is knowing when to stop letting the user have flexibility. That's one way to make code much simpler: just say "You can't use this for everything".

      --
      brian d foy <brian@stonehenge.com>
        /me really shouldn't have opened his big mouth.

        For the record, I happen to agree with every single point you've made. If I felt that Schwern would have listened to me, I would have made those points to him a year ago when I first read about this entire ... "thing". (That was a comment on my lack of clout, not his lack of listening skills.)

        Personally, I think that MakeMaker should be platform dependent, similar to File::Spec. If Debian is weird, then have a ExtUtils::MakeMaker::Debian. VMS, Win32 ... whatever. One size doesn't fit all.


        • In general, if you think something isn't in Perl, try it out, because it usually is. :-)
        • "What is the sound of Perl? Is it not the sound of a wall that people have stopped banging their heads against?"