test modules fail install

[davidov0009]

Hello.

I am attempting to use the MCPAN shell to install the module Business::PayPal on my Red Hat 9 server. I am running into problems when the required Net::SSLeay module drags in a bunch of other required Test modules that then fail. I get several @INC, BEGIN, and make errors. I have recorded the names of the modules that are creating these problems and the final output of the failed install, listed below:

---- Unsatisfied dependencies detected during [C/CH/CHORNY/Test-Warn-0
+.10.tar.gz] -----
    Test::Exception
    Test::Builder::Tester
.
.
.

---- Unsatisfied dependencies detected during [F/FL/FLORA/Net-SSLeay-1
+.32.tar.gz] -----
    Test::Warn
    Test::Exception
.
.

Writing Makefile for Test::Exception
---- Unsatisfied dependencies detected during [A/AD/ADIE/Test-Exceptio
+n-0.25.tar.gz] -----
    Test::Builder
    Test::Simple
    Test::Builder::Tester
.
.
.
Can't locate Net/SSLeay.pm in @INC (@INC contains: blib/lib blib/arch 
+/usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0 /us
+r/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib/perl5/si
+te_perl/5.8.0 /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.8
+.0/i386-linux-thread-multi /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.8.0 /usr/lib/
+perl5/vendor_perl /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0/i386-linux-thread-multi /usr/l
+ib/perl5/5.8.0 .) at blib/lib/Business/PayPal.pm line 9.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at blib/lib/Business/PayPal.pm line 
+9.
Compilation failed in require at test.pl line 10.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at test.pl line 10.

make: *** [test_dynamic] Error 2
  /usr/bin/make test -- NOT OK
Running make install
  make test had returned bad status, won't install without force
Failed during this command:
  MOCK/Business-PayPal-0.02.tar.gz             : make_test NO
  FLORA/Net-SSLeay-1.32.tar.gz                 : make NO
  ADIE/Test-Exception-0.25.tar.gz              : make_test NO
  CHORNY/Test-Warn-0.10.tar.gz                 : make_test NO
  MSCHWERN/Test-Simple-0.72.tar.gz             : make NO

There are many other errors in the long list of output but I am wondering how I can either avoid installing these test modules or fix these test problems. Thanks.

[dragonchild]

Net::SSLeay is a notoriously hard module to install, particularly on Redhat systems (as are most crypto modules on RH systems). I would do the following (in this order - obviously stopping when I find a way that works):
1. See if I can't use the RPM for Net::SSLeay (the finding of is left as an exercise for the reader).
2. Install all the Test::* modules first, then try Net::SSLeay
3. Hire someone (not me!) who's done this before for the couple hours it'll take and pay them $250. Make documentation of what they did a requirement. Even better would be an RPM. It'll be cheaper for your employer to do that than to have you faffing about for another 3 days and still not get it done.

[davidov0009]

Thank you dragonchild, I downloaded the rpm, installed the module and then ran the MCPAN shell again for the paypal module, no complaints at all. I was unaware that modules came in rpm's. Thank you.

[perlfan]

If a module is required, and thusly creates a cascade of dependencies, there is not much you can do.

You can try installing each module on its own via CPAN, or via the untar'd directory in /root/.cpan/build directory (assuming you /are/ root when doing this.

There are 'force' and 'notest' pragmas one may use when installing modules, but I don't recommend this.

If you determine there is a problem with a particular module, you'll most likely need to contact the maintainer.

[shmem]

I'd first try to install RPM::Specfile on that box, and subsequently use cpanflute2 (included in that package) to build RPMS from CPAN Archives. cpanflute2 has its issues too (mostly due to the simplistic perl dependency finder /usr/lib/rpm/perl.req which lists optional modules as requirements also), but it is definitively the right thing to do.

I guess that there's also a repository of RPMS for RH9 ... yup, Dag Wieers has them. Here you go:

perl-Net-SSLeay-1.23-0.dag.rh90.i386.rpm

and he also has RPM::Specfile.

Run rpm -qlp --requires on the downloaded package, and get the rest of the dependecies too. After installing those RH9 rpms, you can get the source rpms, edit the spec files and update the tar.gz packages with newer stuff from CPAN, cpanflute them to RPMS and gradually upgrade until all deps are satisfied. Which may or may not work...

Good luck! ;-)