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

I need to install Perl as part of a big set of tools in an automatically-installed package. Since the auto-installer is just copying files straight over, I can't run the ActiveState installer. Is it possible to install Perl without the installer? Do I have to do anything funky to get it to work? And to keep the size down, which bits of the installation are required and which bits can I safely remove? (i.e. documentation, examples, unused modules...)

---
A fair fight is a sign of poor planning.

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Installerless Installing (on Windows)
by TStanley (Canon) on May 02, 2001 at 02:47 UTC
    You can download a version of ActiveState perl that doesn't include
    the installer. All you do is create a folder called Perl on your C drive
    and unzip the file inside that folder. Then place the appropriate path
    in your autoexec.bat file and reboot your machine.

    TStanley
    In the end, there can be only one!
[reply]
(tye)Re: Installerless Installing (on Windows)
by tye (Sage) on May 02, 2001 at 03:23 UTC

    You can also use IndigoPerl from http://www.indigostar.com/ which comes as an oridinary .zip file and a non-interactive Perl script that does the miscellaneous post-copy configuration steps.

            - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")
[reply]
Re: Installerless Installing (on Windows)
by idnopheq (Chaplain) on May 02, 2001 at 17:32 UTC
    See the Install notes from ActivePerl. A line like

    c:\> msiexec /i <msi_file> TARGETDIR="c:\perl" PERL_PATH="Yes" 
/l*v <log_file> /q

    [download]
    will do a quiet install with verbose logging to a text file for troubleshooting. See M$ TechNet for msiexec syntax and options.

    HTH
    --
    idnopheq
    Apply yourself to new problems without preparation, develop confidence in your ability to to meet situations as they arrise.

[reply]
[d/l]

      After you are forced to install MSI which requires a reboot and so makes doing it automatically rather tough (oh, I've done it, but I'd rather just avoid the whole MSI bloat if the only reason to install it is to get Perl).

              - tye (but my friends call me "Tye")
[reply]
        No doubt! Just saying one could ... were one in a boat like mine ... :>( ... at home, things are brighter ... :>)

        For the adventuresome, one could do the MSI install, zip it up with the registry keys in place as a .reg file, and distribute that.

        Otherwise, talk to the fine folks at ActiveState.

        HTH
        --
        idnopheq
        Apply yourself to new problems without preparation, develop confidence in your ability to to meet situations as they arrise.

[reply]

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