Trying -- and failing -- to install modules from cpan

[swampyankee]

I'm using Mac OS X (10.7.5), and have been trying to install several modules from cpan, specifically PGPLOT and Chart::Gnuplot. I've gotten similar error messages for both:

Running install for module 'Chart::Gnuplot'
Running make for K/KW/KWMAK/Chart/Gnuplot/Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar.gz
Fetching with LWP:
ftp://cpan.erlbaum.net/CPAN/authors/id/K/KW/KWMAK/Chart/Gnuplot/Chart-
+Gnuplot-0.17.tar.gz
Fetching with LWP:
ftp://cpan.erlbaum.net/CPAN/authors/id/K/KW/KWMAK/Chart/Gnuplot/CHECKS
+UMS
Checksum for /Users/emc/.cpan/sources/authors/id/K/KW/KWMAK/Chart/Gnup
+lot/Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar.gz ok
Usage:
  List:    tar -tf <archive-filename>
  Extract: tar -xf <archive-filename>
  Create:  tar -cf <archive-filename> [filenames...]
  Help:    tar --help
Uncompressed /Users/emc/.cpan/sources/authors/id/K/KW/KWMAK/Chart/Gnup
+lot/Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar.gz successfully
Using Tar:/usr/bin/tar x1f "Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar":
Usage:
  List:    tar -tf <archive-filename>
  Extract: tar -xf <archive-filename>
  Create:  tar -cf <archive-filename> [filenames...]
  Help:    tar --help
Couldn't untar Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar
Package seems to come without Makefile.PL.
  (The test -f "/Users/emc/.cpan/build/KWMAK-UCpuQy/Makefile.PL" retur
+ned false.)
  Writing one on our own (setting NAME to ChartGnuplot)
  Had problems unarchiving. Please build manually
Running make test
  Make had some problems, won't test
Running make install
  Make had some problems, won't install
Failed during this command:
 KWMAK/Chart/Gnuplot/Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar.gz: unwrapped NO -- untar 
+failed

Any ideas about what I'm doing wrong?

[atcroft]

The following (from your output) may be a clue as to what is occurring (lines 13 and following):

Using Tar:/usr/bin/tar x1f "Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar":
Usage:
  List:    tar -tf <archive-filename>
  Extract: tar -xf <archive-filename>
  Create:  tar -cf <archive-filename> filenames...
  Help:    tar --help
Couldn't untar Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar

My guess would be that it is trying to use 'tar x1f filename.tar' to extract it, but that the version of tar on your system requires a '-' on options (thus, 'tar -xf filename.tar'). How to fix that, though, I am not sure (but hope others may be able to suggest).

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous Monk]

Any ideas about what I'm doing wrong?

:) maybe you've got weird tar, run  tar --version and send a bug report, rt://cpan

Try use a different tar, o conf ...

Also, try  cpanp -i Chart::Gnuplot

Or try  curl -L http://cpanmin.us | perl - --self-upgrade

or  wget -O - http://cpanmin.us | perl - --self-upgrade

[kcott]

G'day swampyankee,

I'm also running Mac OS X 10.7.5 and had no problem installing from CPAN:

$ cpan

cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v1.9800)
Enter 'h' for help.

cpan[1]> install Chart::Gnuplot

Read more... (4 kB)

  KWMAK/Chart/Gnuplot/Chart-Gnuplot-0.17.tar.gz
  /usr/bin/make install  -- OK

cpan[2]> q
Lockfile removed.

I'm using perlbrew with Perl 5.14.2.

You may already be aware of this but it's generally considered a bad idea to modify Mac OS X's system Perl. If you are doing this, that may have some bearing on your problem (I'm very much guessing here). Here's a discussion of this with some options: Are there any major Perl issues with Mac OS X Lion?

[swampyankee]

Nope; didn't touch the system perl. My perl dates from the installation of the o/s; both tar xvf <tarfile> and tar -xvf <tarfile> work. I'm thinking I've done something to screw up cpan, probably using o conf.