in reply to How to install a CPAN module which is only available as part of a comprehensive Perl distribution?

Thanks, fellow monks, for all your valuable suggestions!

In the meantime one of my colleagues also found her way to a GDBM_File for 5.8.8: On the distribution page for perl-5.10.1 the dropdown menu "Other Releases" allows to select version 5.8.8 and from that distribution's page you only have to follow the corresponding link to version 1.08 of GDBM_File.

This, of course, raises (at least) three further questions:

  1. Why doesn't CPAN offer any way to navigate directly from the latest to earlier versions of GDBM_File?
  2. Why is a CPAN shell started in a 5.8.8 environment (i.e. where the version of the Perl interpreter running the shell is 5.8.8) not automatically referred to the latest version of GDBM_File which is still compatible with 5.8.8 but instead tries to install the globally latest version which requires (by resolution of dependencies) an update of Perl itself?
  3. Is GDBM_File supposed to be a core module at the end of the day? - At least the link "Dependencies" on the left margin of the module's documentation page leads to a result page that says so. (But then how did our sysops manage to in install a Perl 5.8.8 without one of the core modules???)
Curious regards
Locutus
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Re^2: How to install a CPAN module which is only available as part of a comprehensive Perl distribution?
by DrHyde (Prior) on Oct 01, 2009 at 10:01 UTC
    GDBM_File is core, but only builds if you have the necessary libraries and headers available.
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Re^2: How to install a CPAN module which is only available as part of a comprehensive Perl distribution?
by Khen1950fx (Canon) on Oct 01, 2009 at 10:48 UTC
    GDBM_file is a core module, and v1.08 is the version that you want. Evidently, your sysops chose not to install it because it must be specifically configured when you install perl, otherwise it isn't installed. Have you consulted with them?
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      Evidence of Locutus working in spite of the best efforts of the/some BOFH ??

      :-D

      A user level that continues to overstate my experience :-))
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        :-) Not really, Bloodnok.

        Actually my sysops are some really nice Borg fellows but it seems the collective has not yet assimilated Perl technology to a sufficient degree... but - as you know - resistance is futile!

        Best regards
        Locutus
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Re^2: How to install a CPAN module which is only available as part of a comprehensive Perl distribution?
by skewray (Initiate) on Oct 01, 2009 at 19:15 UTC
    I think that this is an appropriate point to whine about CPAN. Often I cannot install or upgrade modules from CPAN because my installation has 5.10.0 and CPAN only sees the most recent 5.10.1 version. Why doesn't CPAN only look for modules that can be installed, unless told otherwise? Or at least have an option to do so?

    Whew! I feel much better now.

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