How to install without PPM?

aquacade has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I'd like to use the CPAN module 'Inline-Files' with ActiveState Perl for Windows (5.6.1). Using PPM, 'install inline-files' says: "Error installing package 'inline-files': Could not locate a PPD file for package inline-files."

I downloaded the module from CPAN and untarred it to a folder but don't know where (and what) to move (the folder or .pm files or everything) into my Perl folder tree so I can just say 'use inline::files' in my perl programs. I guess the lib folder goes into the /perl/lib folder but do I need to "connect" anything else to make it work?

This is no doubt so easy it's laughable, but I've searched here (PerlMonks), there (ActiveState), everywhere (web), and cannot find the hint of how to install a CPAN module that has only Perl code. Perhaps some monk could write a quick tutorial on this site 'Tutorials' link with the particulars?

Would someone please offer a kind response? (BTW, I did RTFM and searched ActiveState HTML docs already. I could have mis-searched on the wrong keyword though.)

Thanks,
aquacade

PS: Thanks to Ingy and Damian for the module!

Comment on How to install without PPM?

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(tye)Re: How to install without PPM? by tye (Sage) on Jul 01, 2001 at 09:19 UTC
(tye)Re2: Can't use Win32 Perl to FTP - no Net::FTP for Win32? goes over some of the documentation that you missed in your search and points out some of the mistakes/omissions in it. It should be enough to get you going (unless you are using Win9x, in which case more headaches are ahead of you). - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")	[reply]
Re: How to install without PPM? by sierrathedog04 (Hermit) on Jul 01, 2001 at 17:12 UTC
My Windows ME laptop has Activestate Perl 5.6.1 installed along with Cygwin, a free program from Cgynus Solutions which creates a Bash shell under Windows. I am trying to install Inline to Activestate Perl from inside Cygwin using the familiar gunzip->tar->Makefile.PL->make->make install sequence of commands. So I downloaded the Inline tar.gz file and tried it. I get a general protections fault when I run 'perl Makefile.PL' Installing a Perl module this way should work. Does anyone know why I am getting this error when I try and install Inline without ppm?	[reply]
Re: Re: How to install without PPM? by bikeNomad (Priest) on Jul 01, 2001 at 19:05 UTC
Your error may have to do with Cygwin; the ActiveState Perl is set up to work from CMD.EXE or COMMAND.COM. Try running `perl Makefile.PL` from the stock Windows command line interpreter. You will also need nmake from Microsoft (freely available, see one of the WIndows Perl FAQ's) unless you re-configure to use a different make utility. Also make sure when you try the stock interpreter that your environment variable SHELL is unset, and that COMSPEC points to the stock CLI (it should).	[reply] [d/l]
(tye)Re2: How to install without PPM? by tye (Sage) on Jul 02, 2001 at 00:19 UTC
I couldn't find nmake from Microsoft where it used to be. I'd use the make replacement written in Perl as also mentioned in the FAQs or found following my link elsewhere in this thread. Update: Thanks, bikeNomad. I've updated my other note to have both links now. - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")	[reply]
Link to download NMAKE from M$ by bikeNomad (Priest) on Jul 02, 2001 at 01:06 UTC
Re: Link to download NMAKE from M$ by Anonymous Monk on Nov 07, 2008 at 15:29 UTC
Some notes below your chosen depth have not been shown here
Re: Link to download NMAKE from M$ by Anonymous Monk on Aug 31, 2009 at 18:05 UTC
Re: How to install without PPM? by gregor42 (Parson) on Jul 02, 2001 at 01:53 UTC
Since you are likely to come across this problem again, I would point out that CPAN.pm is part of the standard Perl installation. You can run this from the command line by typing: `perl -MCPAN -e shell;` To install a module type: `i` filename It helps to have a compiler installed, but not all modules require it. Also, to perform the installation by hand, you'll likely want the files to end up in perl/site/lib, but that varies from system to system. But the commands for installing modules are usually the same. First go to the module's directory then type: `perl Makefile.PL make install make test make` [download] That's pretty much it, but depending on the module there might be more involved. Another thing to be aware of is prerequisite modules. Be careful that the module you are installing doesn't require other modules to be in place first. The CPAN module can be configured to follow these dependencies & automagically install everything required. Wait! This isn't a Parachute, this is a Backpack!	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Setting paths when installing without PPM by bikeNomad (Priest) on Jul 02, 2001 at 02:28 UTC
And remember that when installing modules this way, that you can make them install wherever you want using the LIB= and/or PREFIX= arguments to MakeMaker (see the ExtUtils::MakeMaker manpage): `perl Makefile.PL LIB=~/lib This will install the module's architecture-independent files into ~/l +ib, the architecture-dependent files into ~/lib/$archname.` [download] So in the (apparently) common case of installing modules in your own directory on someone else's web server, this is what you can do.	[reply] [d/l]


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