Re: Thoughts on script portability

You don't have shell access to the target machine?

Ask someone who does to install the module. If you can't do that, you can settle for copy-and-pasting the bits of code you need. Hardly an ideal solution, but it's still better than re-inventing your own stuff.

You lack compiler tools for the target machine?

In your case (GNU/Linux development, Windows target), you might be able to do some fancy tricks with a cross-compiler using Cygwin's stuff. Also Wine might help. People often think of it as a way to run Windows programs on GNU/Linux, but it's also designed for porting programs between those platforms.

Uncooperative hosting facility

If I was a direct employee of the company instead of a consultant, I would strongly urge the group to find a new host. My view is that as an employee, I have to speak up when I see something wrong, but as a contractor, I'm there for the whims of the company I work under. The most I would say is that it may take me longer to work around the problems caused by not having access to various modules and let them work out if its worth it or not.

----
I wanted to explore how Perl's closures can be manipulated, and ended up creating an object system by accident.
-- Schemer

: () { :|:& };:

Note: All code is untested, unless otherwise stated

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Re: Re: Thoughts on script portability
by blue_cowdawg (Monsignor) on Jan 25, 2004 at 07:28 UTC

Ask someone who does to install the module.

Thought of and tried. The client I am referring to had an extremely uncooperative hosting site. In fact they got quite combatitive with me over the issue. They were MS VBScript biggots and didn't want to even support Perl.

Sad side-story to all this was that they had a server crash on the machine that hosted my client's web site. When they rebuilt the machine the did not re-install the Perl interpreter. This went on for several months before we got any cooperation out of them to re-install Perl.

I would strongly urge the group to find a new host. In your case (GNU/Linux development, Windows target), you might be able to do some fancy tricks with a cross-compiler

This option was considered at the time. I must confess though I did not persue it because I wanted more to bring the point home to my client that he needed to get onto a better hosting facility. The one he insisted on staying with was not serving his needs.

I would strongly urge the group to find a new host.

In the end the relationship I had with this client ended badly unfortunately. The client's position at the time (a very small cap business) was that was the hosting facility he picked and that was that. We parted company and interestingly enough the client changed providers twice over the last few years and is now with a very progressive provider.

Client's name, of course, is being withheld for obvios professional reasons.

Peter L. Berghold -- Unix Professional Peter at Berghold dot Net
	Dog trainer, dog agility exhibitor, brewer of fine Belgian style ales. Happiness is a warm, tired, contented dog curled up at your side and a good Belgian ale in your chalice.

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Re: Re: Re: Thoughts on script portability

by Vautrin (Hermit) on Jan 25, 2004 at 23:14 UTC

You know, it's really easy to focus on money and say, "I want this client because I want the cashflow assosciated with their business." Sometimes you need to just stop and think, and say, "Is it worth working with this client?". That may be really hard to do sometimes in today's job markets, but there are a lot of bad clients out there who will cause you more problems then they are worth. I learned this myself the hard way after I got burned several times. So instead of focusing on how to bend around 2nd rate hosting services, you may want to be glad that the client left you when they did. After all, maybe they would have caused you more problems then they are worth.

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