Re: Module::Build article on perl.com, MakeMaker is doomed

[tachyon]

The current problem with Module::Build is that it is not included in a lot of currently active perl distributions. As a result including a Build.PL creates a dependency that does not currently exist. For instance on my Win2K and Redhat 7.3 boxes:

[root@www root]# perl -v

This is perl, v5.6.1 built for i386-linux

[snip]

[root@www root]# perl -MModule::Build
Can't locate Module/Build.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /usr/lib/perl5/5.
+6.1/i386-linux /usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1/i3
+86-linux /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.
+0 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.6.1/i386-linu
+x /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.6.1 /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl .).
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted.
[root@www root]# 

C:\>perl -v

This is perl, v5.6.1 built for MSWin32-x86-multi-thread
(with 1 registered patch, see perl -V for more detail)

Copyright 1987-2001, Larry Wall

Binary build 626 provided by ActiveState Tool Corp. http://www.ActiveS
+tate.com
[snip]

C:\>perl -MModule::Build
Can't locate Module/Build.pm in @INC (@INC contains: C:/Perl/lib C:/Pe
+rl/site/li
b .).
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted.
C:\>

Until Module::Build starts to appear as part of the standard distribution it is hard to justify the(albeit minimal) effort of including a Build.PL and documentation and testing for same. If I include one (and the fact you will need to download Module::Build in the README) all those people who never READIT will feel free to email complaining that Build.PL does not work..... If I leave a Makefile.PL in the distro people will use this instead of the Build.PL but if I don't....

cheers

tachyon

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[autarch]

Did you see the part of the article where I showed a Makefile.PL script that simply gets Module::Build installed and then proxies all commands through to M::B? That works just fine without Module::Build already installed. Go ahead and try to install my Thesaurus module from CPAN to see it in action. Bug reports welcome ;)

[tachyon]

OK here is a bug report. Module::Builder requires Archive::Tar > 0.22 On Win2K this craps out and without it I can't install your Module unless I edit the Makefile.PL (easy enough). I cna't use PPM to get 0.22 because the latest PPM is 0.072. So to install your module I need to write a new Makefile, rearrange the directory structure, fix the MANIFEST and then it will work. Hmmm. A second bug report is that if a user has never run CPAN it defaults into interactive mode which results in an automated script calling CPAN effectively hanging as it waits for user input that never comes if you call it using backtics. If you use piped opens it is not portable.....

Here is the install:

Read more... (7 kB)

[Aristotle]

Archive::Tar 0.23 doesn't have this problem.

Makeshifts last the longest.