Re: When cpan returns the dreaded "won't install without force"

[Intrepid]

The OP wrote

Lately I have been trying to install a lot of modules with cpan [...] For those with few tests which do not scroll my screen, copying the test data and Test Summary Report is easy; but for others which have a lot of tests, it is difficult to get everything from the command prompt window.
I was thinking it would be nice if I could have the text printed to my screen also printed to a file [...]

The OP's question was not fully addressed by any answers yet given.

Oops, am I stepping on toes?

Do I care? I seem not to.

There are really 3 issues being offered here.

1. Many tests are failing for this user.
2. The user is encountering physical difficulty with locating the real (meaningful) content of console output text pertaining to the failures.
3. The user had a secondary thought that it would be a convenience if test failures were sent in automatically.

The last issue is the one that was apparently found "interesting to answer" by other users (or pseudo-users). I don't need to address it.

The first issue was barely addressed. It was addressed by an unproven assumption, to the extent that it was addressed at all. That was by a pseudo-user. The contention was that "prerequisite modules were not found." I don't know who this crackpot is, but frankly, he's lowering the quality of information on perlmonks. He seems to have lots of opinions and lots of time to post to Perlmonks. The lack of genuine knowledgability, the absence of rigorous evidence ("In the absence of evidence, opinion is indistinguishable from prejudice"), the style of expression, all suggest to me that this frequently seen pseudo-user is all one guy. I'd like to now suggest to him, having tried to be more thorough in addressing him previously, that he just get lost.

Is the OP using a MS Whyyndwoes paltform? Being a Whyyndoes sufferer myself, I know for a fact that test failures are more common on these M$ platforms.

The second point is a matter of real interest to people who truly want to help. The scrolling of output produced by testing can be a problem. Adjustments to the console or terminal emulator being used can help. First, make sure that one has enough "scroll buffer" set to allow scrolling back through a large number of screenfuls. Second, invest the time in installing and learning one of the replacements for the native MSW console application (the CMD.exe box). Several decent alternatives exist. GIYF.

Contributors to CPAN have done a lot to make test output cleaner - easier to systematically write test suites that produce output that is consistent from module to module. Props, to the folks who develop TAP. Nevertheless, it is an acquired skill to read test output well and see what is really meaningful. A log file helps a lot. I personally use cpanp, the CPANPLUS (CPAN++) client. It generates logs.

[Anonymous Monk]

... I personally use cpanp, the CPANPLUS (CPAN++) client. It generates logs.

And then what?

So instead of responding to nodes you have an issue with, you'll rant at the OP, and say nothing new -- brilliant