Perl will run fine on Win2k. Just download the release from Activestate, install, and run. That has nothing to do with a "net connection" other than that you need a net connection to download the package from Activestate. Once installed on your laptop, you don't need a net connection unless you want to run a perl program that needs the net.

Perl is need to run Perl scripts. You don't need any server at all. Perl has nothing to do with a server. From your question it seems you want to run web applications powered by Perl. In that case, you need a web server. You can use IIS or Apache. You will need to configure them to run Perl scripts correctly.

PHP/MySQL have nothing to do with Perl. PHP is another language, somewhat like Perl. But questions re that would likely be best asked at a PHP forum, not at Perlmonks.

MySQL is a database, and has nothing to do with Perl, unless you want to run a Perl script (using the Perl program) that works with data stored in a database. In which case you need the database, the right modules (DBI and the respective drivers), etc. My suggestion would be to not bother with MySQL. Instead, download DBD::SQLite. It includes the driver as well as the database.

Hope this helps.

Thanks so far for your prompt replies.

Punkish - The way i see it is that I'd like my Perl scripts to be fully functional on the laptop - without uploading to my ISP's server and seeing its output via a net connection and using MSIE. I'd like it to run locally.

I know php is a diff language, but that's for the future and hense asking about Perl here.

The apps I'm developing at present are a combo of Perl/MySQL, so I will undoubtedly need the necessary mods, drivers, etc.

What you've all given me so far is more than I managed to find for myself. ActiveState has just finished downloading and i'm about to install and see what it says I'm missing.

Thanks thus far and any further help/advice is still welcomed.

Cheers for now.

The problem with your question is that fully functional depends on what functionality you want. If you're writing Web scripts in Perl, you'll need a Web server; if you're writing mail server plugins, you'll need a mail server; if you're writing database applications, you'll need a database. Perl is a general purpose programming language, so "fully functional" covers a lot of ground. You'll have to be much more specific about what you'd like to do if you want a full answer, but hopefully the other answers will provide a good start.

Good luck!

Well, since now you told us you want to write some web applications with perl, you need a web server. You can use Ms Internet Information Server which is included with Win2k. But likely your ISP will use Apache, so it's easier to use it as well. See httpd.apache.org and choose the major version your provider is using (1.3.x or 2.x). If you just want to write Perl/CGI scripts, the version doesn't really matter

You can download mysql from Mysql and chose the same or a newer version than your ISP (the major versions are 3.x, 4.0.x, 4.1.x) and install it

if you want to develop with mod_perl or GD, see theoryx5.ua.winnipeg.ca/ppms for additional perl modules not available by activestate...

if you want apache2, you can alternatively go to apachefriends and download XAMPP for windows which contains Apache, MySQL, PHP + PEAR, Perl, mod_php, mod_perl, mod_ssl, OpenSSL, phpMyAdmin, Webalizer, Mercury Mail Transport System for Win32 and NetWare Systems v3.32, JpGraph, FileZilla FTP Server, mcrypt, eAccelerator, SQLite, WEB-DAV + mod_auth_mysql

Best regards,
perl -e "s>>*F>e=>y)\*martinF)stronat)=>print,print v8.8.8.32.11.32"

period.

end of story.

ph^H^H garbage? Why? MySQL: no sweat.

I guess that this is too much dreaming, but who knows.

What aproaches the most to this, today, is GNU-LINUX-KNOPPIX, but there are not much perl modules installed. I should build an alternative KNOPPIX CD...