Now that I've calmed down a *little*, I'm doing a little more thorough research here. I already tried googling last night, but it wasn't sinking in much at that point. Fresh eyes help.

Running perl -V produces the exact same output on both servers. Server #1: 

Summary of my perl5 (revision 5 version 10 subversion 0) configuration
+:
  Platform:
    osname=linux, osvers=2.6.32-5-686, archname=i486-linux-gnu-thread-
+multi
    uname='linux callisto 2.6.32-5-686 #1 smp mon jun 13 04:13:06 utc 
+2011 i686 gnulinux '
    config_args='-Dusethreads -Duselargefiles -Dccflags=-DDEBIAN -Dccc
+dlflags=-fPIC -Darchname=i486-linux-gnu -Dprefix=/usr -Dprivlib=/usr/
+share/perl/5.10 -Darchlib=/usr/lib/perl/5.10 -Dvendorprefix=/usr -Dve
+ndorlib=/usr/share/perl5 -Dvendorarch=/usr/lib/perl5 -Dsiteprefix=/us
+r/local -Dsitelib=/usr/local/share/perl/5.10.0 -Dsitearch=/usr/local/
+lib/perl/5.10.0 -Dman1dir=/usr/share/man/man1 -Dman3dir=/usr/share/ma
+n/man3 -Dsiteman1dir=/usr/local/man/man1 -Dsiteman3dir=/usr/local/man
+/man3 -Dman1ext=1 -Dman3ext=3perl -Dpager=/usr/bin/sensible-pager -Ua
+fs -Ud_csh -Ud_ualarm -Uusesfio -Uusenm -DDEBUGGING=-g -Doptimize=-O2
+ -Duseshrplib -Dlibperl=libperl.so.5.10.0 -Dd_dosuid -des'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define
    useithreads=define, usemultiplicity=define
    useperlio=define, d_sfio=undef, uselargefiles=define, usesocks=und
+ef
    use64bitint=undef, use64bitall=undef, uselongdouble=undef
    usemymalloc=n, bincompat5005=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='cc', ccflags ='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -DDEBIAN -fno-strict
+-aliasing -pipe -I/usr/local/include -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFS
+ET_BITS=64',
    optimize='-O2 -g',
    cppflags='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -DDEBIAN -fno-strict-aliasing
+ -pipe -I/usr/local/include'
    ccversion='', gccversion='4.3.2', gccosandvers=''
    intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=1234
    d_longlong=define, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=1
+2
    ivtype='long', ivsize=4, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='off_t',
+ lseeksize=8
    alignbytes=4, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='cc', ldflags =' -L/usr/local/lib'
    libpth=/usr/local/lib /lib /usr/lib /usr/lib64
    libs=-lgdbm -lgdbm_compat -ldb -ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt
    perllibs=-ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt
    libc=/lib/libc-2.7.so, so=so, useshrplib=true, libperl=libperl.so.
+5.10.0
    gnulibc_version='2.7'
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=so, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags='-Wl,-E'
    cccdlflags='-fPIC', lddlflags='-shared -O2 -g -L/usr/local/lib'


Characteristics of this binary (from libperl):
  Compile-time options: MULTIPLICITY PERL_DONT_CREATE_GVSV
                        PERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEXT PERL_MALLOC_WRAP USE_ITH
+READS
                        USE_LARGE_FILES USE_PERLIO USE_REENTRANT_API
  Built under linux
  Compiled at Jun 30 2011 20:15:14
  @INC:
    /etc/perl
    /usr/local/lib/perl/5.10.0
    /usr/local/share/perl/5.10.0
    /usr/lib/perl5
    /usr/share/perl5
    /usr/lib/perl/5.10
    /usr/share/perl/5.10
    /usr/local/lib/site_perl
    .

[download]

server #2: 

Summary of my perl5 (revision 5 version 10 subversion 0) configuration
+:
  Platform:
    osname=linux, osvers=2.6.32-5-686, archname=i486-linux-gnu-thread-
+multi
    uname='linux callisto 2.6.32-5-686 #1 smp mon jun 13 04:13:06 utc 
+2011 i686 gnulinux '
    config_args='-Dusethreads -Duselargefiles -Dccflags=-DDEBIAN -Dccc
+dlflags=-fPIC -Darchname=i486-linux-gnu -Dprefix=/usr -Dprivlib=/usr/
+share/perl/5.10 -Darchlib=/usr/lib/perl/5.10 -Dvendorprefix=/usr -Dve
+ndorlib=/usr/share/perl5 -Dvendorarch=/usr/lib/perl5 -Dsiteprefix=/us
+r/local -Dsitelib=/usr/local/share/perl/5.10.0 -Dsitearch=/usr/local/
+lib/perl/5.10.0 -Dman1dir=/usr/share/man/man1 -Dman3dir=/usr/share/ma
+n/man3 -Dsiteman1dir=/usr/local/man/man1 -Dsiteman3dir=/usr/local/man
+/man3 -Dman1ext=1 -Dman3ext=3perl -Dpager=/usr/bin/sensible-pager -Ua
+fs -Ud_csh -Ud_ualarm -Uusesfio -Uusenm -DDEBUGGING=-g -Doptimize=-O2
+ -Duseshrplib -Dlibperl=libperl.so.5.10.0 -Dd_dosuid -des'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define
    useithreads=define, usemultiplicity=define
    useperlio=define, d_sfio=undef, uselargefiles=define, usesocks=und
+ef
    use64bitint=undef, use64bitall=undef, uselongdouble=undef
    usemymalloc=n, bincompat5005=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='cc', ccflags ='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -DDEBIAN -fno-strict
+-aliasing -pipe -I/usr/local/include -D_LARGEFILE_SOURCE -D_FILE_OFFS
+ET_BITS=64',
    optimize='-O2 -g',
    cppflags='-D_REENTRANT -D_GNU_SOURCE -DDEBIAN -fno-strict-aliasing
+ -pipe -I/usr/local/include'
    ccversion='', gccversion='4.3.2', gccosandvers=''
    intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=1234
    d_longlong=define, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=1
+2
    ivtype='long', ivsize=4, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='off_t',
+ lseeksize=8
    alignbytes=4, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='cc', ldflags =' -L/usr/local/lib'
    libpth=/usr/local/lib /lib /usr/lib /usr/lib64
    libs=-lgdbm -lgdbm_compat -ldb -ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt
    perllibs=-ldl -lm -lpthread -lc -lcrypt
    libc=/lib/libc-2.7.so, so=so, useshrplib=true, libperl=libperl.so.
+5.10.0
    gnulibc_version='2.7'
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=so, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags='-Wl,-E'
    cccdlflags='-fPIC', lddlflags='-shared -O2 -g -L/usr/local/lib'


Characteristics of this binary (from libperl):
  Compile-time options: MULTIPLICITY PERL_DONT_CREATE_GVSV
                        PERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEXT PERL_MALLOC_WRAP USE_ITH
+READS
                        USE_LARGE_FILES USE_PERLIO USE_REENTRANT_API
  Built under linux
  Compiled at Jun 30 2011 20:15:14
  @INC:
    /etc/perl
    /usr/local/lib/perl/5.10.0
    /usr/local/share/perl/5.10.0
    /usr/lib/perl5
    /usr/share/perl5
    /usr/lib/perl/5.10
    /usr/share/perl/5.10
    /usr/local/lib/site_perl
    .

[download]

I'm doing more detailed troubleshooting and figured out that if my input text contains font tags (as specified in the PDF::TextBlock documentation) AND spaces, then I get the stated error when I $tb->apply;...even if the $t1 is hard-coded instead of a variable. 

$t1=($two->{OwnerName});                #works
$t1='<b>'.($two->{OwnerName}).'</b>';   #doesn't work
$t1="longer font that uses spaces but should still wrap in the small b
+ox";#works
$t1="<b>longer font that uses spaces but should still wrap in the smal
+l box<b>";#doesn't work
$t1='test test';                        #works
$t1='<b>test test</b>';                 #doesn't work
$t1="<b>test test</b>";                 #doesn't work
$t1='test';                             #works
$t1='<b>test<b>';                       #works

$tb->text($t1);
($endw1, $ypos1, $overflow1)=$tb->apply;

[download]

I suspect this may be related to this PDF::TextBlock reported bug??? I already figured out that \n within font tags break the tag so the font isn't used.

In reply to Re^2: PDF::API2 & PDF::Textblock problems by ksublondie
in thread PDF::API2 & PDF::Textblock problems by ksublondie

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