perl, v5.8.7 Windows 2003 PPM 3.3

[Pekka Siiskonen]

I have installed perl 5.8.7 build 815 (MSI) from activestate to a fresh
Win2003 server [Version 5.2.3790] to create an up-to-date enviroment (have
used perl v5.6.1 build 635 on Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]) with no
problems so far.

Tried to start loading neccesary modules with ppm (3.3) but will not get
anywhere:

ppm> install dbi
PPM:PD::init: not a PPD and not a file:

c:\

on page:

http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/docs/ActivePerl/5.8/faq/ActivePerl-faq2.html

it says:
PPM (ppm) is installed when you install ActivePerl. On Windows systems
there are certain prerequisites for using PPM:

a.. To use CPAN, install Microsoft's nmake, which is available from:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q132084
b.. You also need a C compiler and environment installed, ideally Visual
C/C++ 6.0.

So, I got the Nmake15 and installed it (to \perl\bin\) but still am getting
nowhere. Should I really purchase C/C++ to get the "free" Perl install
modules? I must be missing something trivial -- what?

The MSVCR70.DLL is copied to \windows\system32\ -directory -- if that is
needed...

Any suggestions?

pekka

 

[Sisyphus]

I have installed perl 5.8.7 build 815 (MSI) from activestate to a fresh
Win2003 server [Version 5.2.3790] to create an up-to-date enviroment (have
used perl v5.6.1 build 635 on Windows 2000 [Version 5.00.2195]) with no
problems so far.

Tried to start loading neccesary modules with ppm (3.3) but will not get
anywhere:

ppm> install dbi
PPM:PD::init: not a PPD and not a file:

Yeah - I get the same, even though I'm pretty sure that I've been able to
'install DBI' in the past. It seems to be something that afflicts only the
DBI module. I find I can install other ActiveState ppm's. (I've just posted
to an ActiveState mailing list about this particular problem. If I get an
answer, I'll post a follow-up ... unless, in the meantime, someone here can
provide an explanation ... which is a distinct possibility.)

If version 1.48 will do you should be able to:

install http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/DBI.ppd

c:\

on page:

http://aspn.activestate.com/ASPN/docs/ActivePerl/5.8/faq/ActivePerl-faq2.html

it says:
PPM (ppm) is installed when you install ActivePerl. On Windows systems
there are certain prerequisites for using PPM:

a.. To use CPAN, install Microsoft's nmake, which is available from:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q132084
b.. You also need a C compiler and environment installed, ideally Visual
C/C++ 6.0.

So, I got the Nmake15 and installed it (to \perl\bin\) but still am getting
nowhere. Should I really purchase C/C++ to get the "free" Perl install
modules? I must be missing something trivial -- what?

The use of 'CPAN.pm', 'nmake' and VC++ is being cited as an *alternative* to
ppm. You can go that way if you think it's worth the money. Personally, I
don't think it is worth the money. A better alternative is (imho) to install
dmake and the MinGW compiler - both of which are freely available, and both
of which work seamlessly with the latest build (815) of ActiveState perl. If
you want to use dmake and MinGW with earlier ActiveState builds then you
should also install ExtUtils::FakeConfig.

'dmake' is available from http://search.cpan.org/dist/dmake/ .
'MinGW' is available from http://www.mingw.org/download.shtml .

However, unless you have a particular interest in building modules yourself,
you'll probably find it simpler and more serviceable to use the ppm utility.
(It's just unfortunate that you found a "problem ppm" so early on

The MSVCR70.DLL is copied to \windows\system32\ -directory -- if that is
needed...

With ppm's, VC++6.0, and MinGW it won't be needed. (It's only needed if you
use VC++7.0.)

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Matt Garrish]

The use of 'CPAN.pm', 'nmake' and VC++ is being cited as an *alternative*
to
ppm. You can go that way if you think it's worth the money. Personally, I
don't think it is worth the money. A better alternative is (imho) to
install
dmake and the MinGW compiler - both of which are freely available, and
both
of which work seamlessly with the latest build (815) of ActiveState perl.
If
you want to use dmake and MinGW with earlier ActiveState builds then you
should also install ExtUtils::FakeConfig.

This question about the ppm documentation seems to pop up every so often
here, so I logged a bug report to AS to hopefully get them to change the
section.

Matt

 

[Sisyphus]

I've just posted
to an ActiveState mailing list about this particular problem. If I get an
answer, I'll post a follow-up

They're saying that it's a load-related server problem and that they're
trying to fix it.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Dr.Ruud]

Sisyphus schreef:

The use of 'CPAN.pm', 'nmake' and VC++ is being cited as an
*alternative* to ppm. You can go that way if you think it's worth the
money.

See also:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/visualc/vctoolkit2003/

 

[Matt Garrish]

This question about the ppm documentation seems to pop up every so often
here, so I logged a bug report to AS to hopefully get them to change the
section.

Just to follow up, the reponse I got is that the faq will now read "PPM
(ppm) is installed automatically with ActivePerl.", and they're going to put
the CPAN shell stuff somewhere else, so hopefully no more confusion.

Matt

 

[Pekka Siiskonen]

Just to follow up, the reponse I got is that the faq will now read "PPM
(ppm) is installed automatically with ActivePerl.", and they're going to put
the CPAN shell stuff somewhere else, so hopefully no more confusion.

So, the ActivePerl distribution was in purpose made such that it does not
install a ready-to-run PPM nor warn that it hasn't done so, or ask if I
would really like to have it, as I had opted to install the whole lot of PPM
into hard disk?

There must have been a good reason for quitting distribution of ready-to-run
PPM from AvctiveState, but I fail to see it. What might that good reason be?

pekka

 

[Matt Garrish]

So, the ActivePerl distribution was in purpose made such that it does not
install a ready-to-run PPM nor warn that it hasn't done so, or ask if I
would really like to have it, as I had opted to install the whole lot of
PPM
into hard disk?

There must have been a good reason for quitting distribution of
ready-to-run
PPM from AvctiveState, but I fail to see it. What might that good reason
be?

I think you've misunderstood. PPM comes with ActivePerl and *does not*
require anything else to run. When you install ActivePerl, you have a
working version of PPM. The documentation, however, made it read like you
needed nmake and a C compiler, which is only true when using the CPAN shell
and has nothing to do with PPM (i.e., running the command "perl -MCPAN -e
shell").

In case you don't know, the CPAN shell is the traditional way to download
and install modules from CPAN. It has nothing to do with PPM, and never
should have been mixed up in the install section of the PPM manual.

Matt

 

[Pekka Siiskonen]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matt Garrish" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl.misc
Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: perl, v5.8.7 Windows 2003 PPM 3.3

I think you've misunderstood. PPM comes with ActivePerl and *does not*
require anything else to run. When you install ActivePerl, you have a
working version of PPM. The documentation, however, made it read like you
needed nmake and a C compiler, which is only true when using the CPAN shell
and has nothing to do with PPM (i.e., running the command "perl -MCPAN -e
shell").

so ... What did I do wrong or what went wrong as I could find the DBI module
(search dbi) but could not install it? Absolutely not a true perl pro but am
willing to learn!

pekka

 

[John Bokma]

So, I got the Nmake15 and installed it (to \perl\bin\) but still am
getting nowhere. Should I really purchase C/C++ to get the "free" Perl
install modules?

If you need C/C++ (which you don't in this case), you can download free
versions from Microsoft (yes).

 

[John Bokma]

The use of 'CPAN.pm', 'nmake' and VC++ is being cited as an
*alternative* to ppm. You can go that way if you think it's worth the
money.

It's free, so uhm...

A better
alternative is (imho) to install dmake and the MinGW compiler - both
of which are freely available,

as is nmake, and Microsoft's C/C++ compiler...

 

[John Bokma]

so ... What did I do wrong or what went wrong as I could find the DBI
module (search dbi) but could not install it? Absolutely not a true
perl pro but am willing to learn!

The repository of ActiveState has hickups now and then.

C:\Documents and Settings\John>ppm install DBI
====================
Install 'DBI' version 1.49 in ActivePerl 5.8.7.815.
====================
:
:
:
Successfully installed DBI version 1.49 in ActivePerl 5.8.7.815.

 

[Matt Garrish]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Matt Garrish" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl.misc
Sent: Tuesday, December 27, 2005 4:21 PM
Subject: Re: perl, v5.8.7 Windows 2003 PPM 3.3


so ... What did I do wrong or what went wrong as I could find the DBI
module
(search dbi) but could not install it? Absolutely not a true perl pro but
am
willing to learn!

It sounds like there was something wrong with the ppd file you were trying
to install, which isn't a reflection on the PPM program itself. As John
noted in his follow-up, the file appears to have been replaced now.

The next time you have a problem like this, try running a search first. You
might find that you're able to install the previous version of the module
(there are usually a couple of versions of a module available). You can
always upgrade later when the problem gets fixed.

You'll also eventually find that not all Perl modules can be installed from
the default repositories (or sometimes not at all even adding other
repositories); it all depends on whether a ppd file has been created. It's
times like those that you have to go to the CPAN shell on Windows.

Matt

 

[Sisyphus]

"John Bokma" <[email protected]>
..
..

as is nmake, and Microsoft's C/C++ compiler...

MSVC++6.0 (which is the recommended Microsoft compiler to use with
ActiveState perl) is *not* freely available. There is certainly a free
version of the Microsoft C/C++ compiler and you can seek out and download
all of the bits and pieces if you so desire - and use it to build your own
perl. But it's not a good idea to use *that* compiler with ActiveState-built
perl.

By contrast, MinGW and dmake are straightforward downloads (and work easily
with ActiveState perl if you don't want to use them to build your own perl).
I recommend that approach ahead of the free Microsoft C/C++ compiler (mainly
on the bases of ease of installation, and milage) ... but no-one is under
any obligation to take any notice of what I recommend.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Sisyphus]

"Pekka Siiskonen"

so ... What did I do wrong or what went wrong as I could find the DBI module
(search dbi) but could not install it? Absolutely not a true perl pro but am
willing to learn!

They were having trouble with their server - as I posted 3 or 4 days ago.
It seems to be fixed now.

Cheers,
Rob

 

[Pekka Siiskonen]

It sounds like there was something wrong with the ppd file you were trying
to install, which isn't a reflection on the PPM program itself. As John
noted in his follow-up, the file appears to have been replaced now.

ppm> install dbi
====================
Install 'dbi' version 1.49 in ActivePerl 5.8.7.815.
====================
Downloaded 556633 bytes.
Extracting 73/73: blib/arch/auto/DBI/Driver_xst.h
...
Successfully installed dbi version 1.49 in ActivePerl 5.8.7.815.
ppm>

Big thank to all!

pekka

 

[John Bokma]

"John Bokma" <[email protected]>
.
.

MSVC++6.0 (which is the recommended Microsoft compiler to use with
ActiveState perl) is *not* freely available. There is certainly a free
version of the Microsoft C/C++ compiler and you can seek out and
download all of the bits and pieces if you so desire

IIRC just two (big) downloads.

- and use it to
build your own perl. But it's not a good idea to use *that* compiler
with ActiveState-built perl.

Uhm, so Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 is a bad choice?

By contrast, MinGW and dmake are straightforward downloads

So does Microsoft, so no contrast.

(and work
easily with ActiveState perl if you don't want to use them to build
your own perl). I recommend that approach ahead of the free Microsoft
C/C++ compiler (mainly on the bases of ease of installation,

The stuff installed here straight away. Only have to remember to execute
two bat files before you start. But if that's a problem (and one can't
make that easier), then compiling modules might be a bit to much anyway.

There is now also Visual C++ 2005 express. I recall that one can use it
for free for one year.

I have no idea why ActiveState is sticking to an old version (at least
that is what I read in your post ?) (6.0) while nowadays you can get the
much more recent bare tools for free, and easy at that.

 

[A. Sinan Unur]

IIRC just two (big) downloads.


Uhm, so Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 is a bad choice?

I am curious why that might be. I have yet to encounter a problem using
this compiler with AS Perl. On the other hand, I have not been able to
compiler Perl successfully using that (miniperl runs into trouble
something that has to do with AMD64 / XPSP2 / Symantec AV, if I
understood correctly).

Sinan

 

[John Bokma]

news:[email protected]:

[ ActiveState Perl, compiling modules etc. ]

I am curious why that might be. I have yet to encounter a problem using
this compiler with AS Perl.

I got PAR working with it (might even have been you who suggested the use
of VC++ etc. )

 

[Sisyphus]

..
..

IIRC just two (big) downloads.

If you want to use the free MS compiler to build perl then there's some
additional stuffing around that you have to do - see the 'Readme.win32' in
the perl source distro for details. (If that information is inaccurate,
please let me know.)

Uhm, so Visual C++ Toolkit 2003 is a bad choice?

No .... it's not a *bad* choice. I probably should have said that it's "not
the best idea" to use that compiler with AS perl. Chances are that you'll
use that compiler with AS perl and never be bitten. But if you try to build
Win32::SharedFileOpen on AS perl using that compiler you *will* be bitten.
(You can successfully build that module on AS perl using VC++6.0 or MinGW,
but not the free MS compiler. If you want to build it using the free MS
compiler then you'll need to be running a perl built by that compiler.)

Cheers,
Rob