cpan try to install a module for a higher perl revision

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

I'm trying to install the module YAML using cpan. I have perl rev.5.06 ( on redhat 7.3 ), but cpan try to install YAML 0.70 which require perl 5.8

Belowe is the log of the installation

cpan[2]> install YAML
CPAN: Storable loaded ok (v2.20)
Going to read '/root/.cpan/Metadata'
  Database was generated on Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:06:58 GMT
Running install for module 'YAML'
Running make for A/AD/ADAMK/YAML-0.70.tar.gz
CPAN: Digest::SHA loaded ok (v5.47)
CPAN: Compress::Zlib loaded ok (v2.023)
Checksum for /root/.cpan/sources/authors/id/A/AD/ADAMK/YAML-0.70.tar.g
+z ok
Scanning cache /root/.cpan/build for sizes
......................................................................
+------DONE
DEL(1/1): /root/.cpan/build/ExtUtils-CBuilder-0.27-7zCEl4
CPAN: Archive::Tar loaded ok (v1.52)
YAML-0.70/
YAML-0.70/Makefile.PL
YAML-0.70/META.yml
YAML-0.70/LICENSE
YAML-0.70/README
.............
YAML-0.70/lib/YAML/Loader.pm
YAML-0.70/lib/Test/
YAML-0.70/lib/Test/YAML.pm
CPAN: File::Temp loaded ok (v0.22)

  CPAN.pm: Going to build A/AD/ADAMK/YAML-0.70.tar.gz

ERROR: perl: Version 5.006001 is installed, but we need version >= 5.0
+08 at inc/Module/Install/Makefile.pm line 119.
Warning: No success on command[/usr/bin/perl Makefile.PL]
Warning (usually harmless): 'YAML' not installed, will not store persi
+stent state
  ADAMK/YAML-0.70.tar.gz
  /usr/bin/perl Makefile.PL -- NOT OK
Running make test
  Make had some problems, won't test
Running make install
  Make had some problems, won't install
Could not read '/root/.cpan/build/YAML-0.70-nFnsag/META.yml'. Falling 
+back to other methods to determine prerequisites
Failed during this command:
 ADAMK/YAML-0.70.tar.gz                       : writemakefile NO '/usr
+/bin/perl Makefile.PL' returned status 7424
[download]

What I have to do to tell cpan to installa a revision of YAML suitable to my perl revision =

My revison of cpan is : /usr/bin/cpan script version 1.9, CPAN.pm version 1.9402

and the my perl configuration is:

[enzo@P0101222 enzo]$ perl -V
Summary of my perl5 (revision 5.0 version 6 subversion 1) configuratio
+n:
  Platform:
    osname=linux, osvers=2.4.21-1.1931.2.393.entsmp, archname=i386-lin
+ux
    uname='linux bugs.devel.redhat.com 2.4.21-1.1931.2.393.entsmp #1 s
+mp thu aug 14 14:47:21 edt 2003 i686 unknown '
    config_args='-des -Doptimize=-O2 -march=i386 -mcpu=i686 -Dcc=gcc -
+Dcf_by=Red Hat, Inc. -Dcccdlflags=-fPIC -Dinstallprefix=/usr -Dprefix
+=/usr -Darchname=i386-linux -Dvendorprefix=/usr -Dsiteprefix=/usr -Uu
+sethreads -Uuseithreads -Uuselargefiles -Dd_dosuid -Dd_semctl_semun -
+Di_db -Di_ndbm -Di_gdbm -Di_shadow -Di_syslog -Dman3ext=3pm -Dinc_ver
+sion_list=5.6.0/i386-linux 5.6.0'
    hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define
    usethreads=undef use5005threads=undef useithreads=undef usemultipl
+icity=undef
    useperlio=undef d_sfio=undef uselargefiles=undef usesocks=undef
    use64bitint=undef use64bitall=undef uselongdouble=undef
  Compiler:
    cc='gcc', ccflags ='-fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/local/include',
    optimize='-O2 -march=i386 -mcpu=i686',
    cppflags='-fno-strict-aliasing -I/usr/local/include'
    ccversion='', gccversion='2.96 20000731 (Red Hat Linux 7.3 2.96-11
+3)', 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=4
    alignbytes=4, usemymalloc=n, prototype=define
  Linker and Libraries:
    ld='gcc', ldflags =' -L/usr/local/lib'
    libpth=/usr/local/lib /lib /usr/lib
    libs=-lnsl -ldl -lm -lc -lcrypt -lutil
    perllibs=-lnsl -ldl -lm -lc -lcrypt -lutil
    libc=/lib/libc-2.2.5.so, so=so, useshrplib=false, libperl=libperl.
+a
  Dynamic Linking:
    dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=so, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags='-rdynami
+c'
    cccdlflags='-fPIC', lddlflags='-shared -L/usr/local/lib'


Characteristics of this binary (from libperl):
  Compile-time options:
  Built under linux
  Compiled at Aug 18 2003 16:08:31
  @INC:
    /usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1/i386-linux
    /usr/lib/perl5/5.6.1
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1/i386-linux
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.1
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.6.0
    /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl
    /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.6.1/i386-linux
    /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.6.1
    /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl
    .
[download]

Thanks for the hoped help. Enzo

Comment on cpan try to install a module for a higher perl revision Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: cpan try to install a module for a higher perl revision by marto (Cardinal) on Dec 16, 2009 at 14:49 UTC
See the following note from Changes: "Bumping dependency to 5.8.0 but I think it's only in the test suite. However, I can't prove it. So if anyone wants 5.6 compatibility back you need to fix or rewrite the test suite." Martin	[reply]
Re: cpan try to install a module for a higher perl revision by keszler (Priest) on Dec 16, 2009 at 14:47 UTC
What I have to do to tell cpan to install a revision of YAML suitable to my perl revision? [(revision 5.0 version 6 subversion 1)] ~~You cannot.~~ The current YAML requires Perl 5.8.0 at minimum. http://cpansearch.perl.org/src/ADAMK/YAML-0.70/META.yml contains: `requires: Filter::Util::Call: 0 perl: 5.8.0` [download] 2nd thought:Install an older version of YAML, one from before the Perl 5.8.0 dependency. Download the gzipped tarball, then: `cpan> install YAML-0.35.tar.gz` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: cpan try to install a module for a higher perl revision by earlati2 (Beadle) on Dec 16, 2009 at 15:53 UTC
cpan seems to have a problem in searching the right module, because it often try to upgrade modules that is not suitable for perl 5.6. There are non way to configure cpan in order to limit it's search only to module revision suitable to my perl revision ?	[reply]
Re^3: cpan try to install a module for a higher perl revision by trwww (Priest) on Dec 16, 2009 at 21:13 UTC
There are non way to configure cpan in order to limit it's search only to module revision suitable to my perl revision ? No, unfortunately there is not. I'm sure patches are welcome :0) The first thing I would try would be to download the package, modify the part of the dist that forces this requirement, and see if the tests still pass. If they do, I'd say you are safe to use it. Next would be as others have suggested, to find a version of the dist that does install successfully with your version of perl. If you can't get a version of the module working with your perl and you really need this module, you'll have to build a newer perl. See Re: 2nd Perl installation on Mac OSX But matter what, you're going to have to learn how the module system works if you need this module. You're using a really old operating system, so you're not going to get much support. But rest assured there are still relatively simple ways to get it to do what you need.	[reply]