in reply to Re: Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option
in thread Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option

It has nice features for module authors that help with running tests and making a dist. Why are these in an installation module? I don't know.

There is an explanation about the PREFIX problem in the docs, but it amounts to "PREFIX doesn't always work, so no effort will be made to be compatible with it." In my opinion this is a cop-out, since PREFIX usually does work and compatibility for the common case shouldn't be that hard.

  • Comment on Re^2: Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option

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Re^3: Module::Build users -- please use the "traditional" create_makefile_pl option
by brian_d_foy (Abbot) on May 18, 2005 at 17:39 UTC

    I've never had anyone actually show me a situation where PREFIX failed, and I've helped a lot of people install a lot of modules all over the world.

    I pretty much depend on PREFIX to do the right thing for all of my modules, and I've never had a complaint about it, either from my public modules or the private things I deliver to clients.

    Has anyone experienced a situation where PREFIX didn't do anything or did the wrong thing? What were the details of the set-up? Is the frequency of this on the order or neutrino interactions with other matter?

    --
    brian d foy <brian@stonehenge.com>
[reply]
      In fairness, PREFIX works as long as you don't mess with any of the dependent values (bin, lib, man), or as long as you keep them definitely below the PREFIX. The brokenness that people occasionally experience is when they want /usr/local/bin, /usr/local/lib, but then /usr/man/manl. If they set that up, then set PREFIX, there's no common PREFIX to those and things get dicey.

      -- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker
      Be sure to read my standard disclaimer if this is a reply.

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[reply]

        I don't really buy that. We don't have to satisfy every possible installation requirement in PREFIX. We document what it does, and we leave it at that. It sets the root directory. You only get to do that once. Whatever you set is what you get. As for it's actual effect between MakeMaker versions 5.x and 6.x, who's fault is that, eh? :)

        If the documented PREFIX doesn't work for you, you don't use PREFIX. However, it works for a lot of people who aren't so picky about such things.

        One of the key talents in a software developer is knowing when to stop letting the user have flexibility. That's one way to make code much simpler: just say "You can't use this for everything".

        --
        brian d foy <brian@stonehenge.com>
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