in reply to Ancient LWP and proxies

I can see two strategies that might work here (although none I consider as particularly appealing.)

Strategy 1
Assuming that your old perl was installed under /usr/bin, /usr/lib/perl. Install a modern version of Perl, 5.8.2, say, under a different directory /usr/local/bin, /usr/local/lib/perl. So that you have two different perl environments on the same machine.

Then install the latest LWP modules under the new perl environment. Although that your kernel is old, but I think the latest Perl should still compile and work gracefully.

Strategy 2
The current version of LWP on CPAN is version 5.76, which requires perl 5.005 as minimum. You could download the source package and fudge the perl sources. Remove the require 5.005 constraint, run the test cases, and fix whatever error that shows up.



In a long run, you are much better off if you upgrade to later version of Perl, with modern libraries. Otherwise you will be missing a lot of new features and upgrades. Personally I would favour strategy 1, just give it a go and see, you never ever know if you never ever try.

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Re: Ancient LWP and proxies
by Abigail-II (Bishop) on Dec 01, 2003 at 00:06 UTC
    While I agree installing multiple versions of Perl is a good thing, I don't agree with your naming scheme. /usr/local/bin/perl for 5.8.2 next to /usr/bin/perl for the older version seems like a good idea, but it doesn't scale. Perhaps after a year you need 5.10, of 5.8.6; where are you going to place that? I would suggest something like: /opt/perl/5.005_03, /opt/perl/5.6.1, /opt/perl/5.8.2, etc. Just a separate dir for each versions of Perl you have in use, and all a subdir from a common dir.

    Alternatively, if you have a machine that has just a few applications installed, you could make Perl part of the application itself. Say, the application installs itself in /opt/my_app, just install the required version of Perl somewhere below /opt/my_app; this gives the application full control over which version of Perl is being used. I've succesfully used that technique myself in the past (for both Perl and Java), and it works like a charm.

    Abigail

[reply]
        ...make Perl part of the application itself. Say, the application installs itself in /opt/my_app, just install the required version of Perl somewhere below /opt/my_app; this gives the application full control over which version of Perl is being used.

      That's an excellent idea.

[reply]

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