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Re: Module compilation hell

by dragonchild (Archbishop)
on Mar 31, 2004 at 00:39 UTC ( [id://341159]=note: print w/replies, xml ) Need Help??


in reply to Module compilation hell

I own three modules on CPAN and plan to upload more. Here's the thing - I have very limited access to different OSes. In fact, I only have access to Solaris, Cygwin, and, occasionally, Redhat9. I depend on my userbase to tell me when something goes wrong and how to fix it.

I just spent 6 hours tracking down a warning in the latest mod_perl2 build ... a warning for something that neither I nor any employer of mine will never use. Why? It's my contribution. If mod_perl didn't exist, I would not have a job. In case you missed that, let me repeat it:

Without mod_perl, Apache, Perl, CPAN, and tons of other stuff, I would not have a job.

It's my payment for the hundreds of thousands of manhours that went into mod_perl. It's the way I give back for a product that is the preeminent product in its sphere.

Let me say this another way - you are the recipient of over 10,000,000 manhours of design, development, testing, retesting, refining, and tuning. For free. (There are almost that many manhours again devoted to the serious modules on CPAN. Just think about that.)

But, it's not completely free. The cost is your time and your expertise. You are using modules on platforms I simply cannot access. I need you and your OS. I need your testing time. I need your patches.

Don't give up. Take the time to at least submit the results of your tests. Just something like: make test > bugreport &2> bugreport; mail owner@isp.com < bugreport

Hit Enter and work in another window. That's all we ask.

------
We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Then there are Damian modules.... *sigh* ... that's not about being less-lazy -- that's about being on some really good drugs -- you know, there is no spoon. - flyingmoose

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Re: Module compilation hell
by Skylark (Beadle) on Mar 31, 2004 at 01:16 UTC

    If I could ++ more than once, I would. Many, many times. This is the essence of the Open Source developer community, summed up in a few short paragraphs (and mostly the last two drive the point home).

    If you're a developer, are using some other developer's work to do yours, and that developer is open to suggestions (i.e. that developer is not a big closed box like many corporations are), invest a few minutes in giving your feedback, suggestions or bug reports to that developer. If I had any public projects or modules, that's what I would like for others to do with my work. And that's why I do it with others' projects I use, as much as I can.

Re: Re: Module compilation hell
by Anonymous Monk on Mar 31, 2004 at 01:03 UTC
    <humbled>Yes, you're right. I need to start compiling these things from source, I suppose.</humbled>
Re: Re: Module compilation hell
by mpeppler (Vicar) on Mar 31, 2004 at 04:49 UTC
    Hear, hear!

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