compiling Perl

In need of help

[Birdman]

Hello,

I have downloaded Perl 5.8 and extracted the files but I have no clue what to do next. If someone could just give me a quick idea how to do it, I would really appreciate it.

Birdman

[andreasfriedrich]

Is that for win_proxy?

If you are running Windows you could simply download ActiveState´s Perl package [activestate.com]. It uses the Microsoft Installer.

ActiveState Perl [perl.com] comes with the ppm packet manager. However, HTTP::Daemon [perldoc.com] is not available via ppm. The easiest way to get it is to install CPAN [perldoc.com] via ppm and then run

perl -MCPAN -e shell

from the dos prompt. Once you configured CPAN [perldoc.com] a simple

install HTTP::Daemon

should do the trick.

Before you configure CPAN [perldoc.com] it might be a good idea to have some utilities like wget, make, unzip, zip, gzip, bzip2 installed. The easiest way to do that is to install cygwin [cygwin.com].

It is some work to get Perl [perl.com] up and running but it is worth it ;).

Andreas

[Birdman]

>>>Is that for win_proxy?

Yes, but I suppose I will start to dabble with Perl coding now, also.

>>>It is some work to get Perl up and running but it is worth it

It does look tough, especially for me since I am having a hard time understanding alot of the terminology you used. I'm a definate newbie to system configuration.

Thanks, Andreas

[andreasfriedrich]

>>I will start to dabble with Perl [perl.com] coding now, also

That is certainly a good idea and will make a lot of tasks quite easy.

Feel free to ask any question you might have. Actually ActiveState Perl, ppm and CPAN [perldoc.com] made setting up Perl [perl.com] a lot easier than it used to be :).

Andreas

[Birdman]

>>> download ActiveState´s Perl package

Done :)

>>>install cygwin.

Done :)

>>>install CPAN via ppm

Could you explain how to do that? I don't understand the "via ppm" part. Thanks! I'm getting there.

[andreasfriedrich]

Enter

ppm

at the dos prompt. This will load the Programmer´s Package Manager. You will see the

ppm>

prompt. Enter

install CPAN

and press enter. Wait.

Once it is installed enter exit at the prompt.

At the dos prompt enter

perl -MCPAN -e shell

to start the interactive Comprehensive Perl [perl.com] Archive Network shell. When you start it the first time you will be asked whether you are ready to configure CPAN [perldoc.com]. You should be! Answer all the questions. Most of the time it will propose sensible default values [in square brackets]. Just press enter to use those values.

When you are done configuring CPAN [perldoc.com] enter

install HTTP::Daemon

at the

cpan>

prompt and press enter. Wait.

If there are problems solve them or ask for help ;)

Andreas

[Birdman]

I must be doing something wrong. I can't get the dos prompt. On my start menu, I have three option on the perl flyout menu:

• Documentation(I have tried looking for solution there)
  
• OLE-Browser
  
• Perl Package Manager
  

Choosing option three gives me the ppm> prompt. I have installed CPAN, but I cannot get the regular prompt, only the ppm>

Thanks for helping me, Andreas.

[andreasfriedrich]

Try Start->Run and then enter command.com into the little box. A dos window should open. At the prompt of that window enter the perl... command.

Start->Programs->Dos¦Console or something similar might work as well. I am running a German Windows version so I do not know the English window captions.

If you do not manage to open a dos window perhaps somebody else running Windows XP might help.

Andreas

[Damian]

>Start->Run and then enter command.com
works for me in win XP, as does typing 'cmd'

When you want to return to the dos prompt from the ppm prompt you can type 'quit'

[andreasfriedrich]

>>When you want to return to the dos prompt from the
>>ppm prompt you can type 'quit'.

True but if you start ppm from the start menu then that will close the whole dos window.

To be honest I didn´t even know that ActiveState Perl [perl.com] puts a link to ppm into the start menu before Birdman wrote about that ;).

Andreas

[Robber]

Its a while since a did it, but I downloaded ActiveStstae perl and put it on XP home. Just grabbed the binaries and installed it no problems. Didnt need ppm until I wanted to install more modules. When you want to install extra perl modules just bring up your dos command prompt and enter ppm, then hit enter.

ppm is great, to search for perl modules on CPAN using ppm eg:

search CGI

to install modules using ppm eg:

install CGI

Thats about it really.