demerphq wrote: <cherry picking through your message>
> There is no excuse for a module built with MB going on CPAN without a > Makefile.PL. I agree 100%. I'm using using Module::Starter::PBP and (more importantly) Module::Release, so I don't have an option. But before we continue down the road of FUD, can anyone provide a list of how many CPAN distros _don't_ contain a Makefile.PL??? > MB should provide one automagically if the user hasnt requested it. Here, we disagree. It is the *authors's* responsibility to ensure that any CPAN release gets tested in a wide variety of environments, including bootstrapping with backrev'd tools. If no one else does, I'll even provide a patch to M::B that will force a module author to hit "Y" when running './Build dist' if there isn't a Makafile.PL present, but I'm opposed to creating a file without asking. There are simply too many variables involved for M::B to make a sane choice. > But if it isnt there then > the build is going to fail almost EVERYWHERE. And thats bad. Much much > much worse than providing a Makefile.PL that will never be used. If by EVERYWHERE you mean Win32, then I hate to break it to you but lots of stuff doesn't work with Win32. As much as they try, ActiveState's PPM has huge holes because it is very hard to get Win32 installs working right (plus I have to strongly disagree with their notion of "we don't ship a newer version of Module::XX in our product, so our PPM machines cannot be upgraded either"). If by EVERYWHERE you mean people running Perl 5.005_03 with the CPAN distro to match, you aren't going to get a lot of sympathy around here, certainly. Big modules on CPAN have README files which are supposed to help users perform their install. The very first paragraph of that README should suggest upgrading the couple of dual-lived core modules that have been upgraded since 8088's were the common desktop choice. It's simply good practice to sharpen your tools before cutting (you are much less likely to draw blood). I am both an author and a user of CPAN. I've installed RT. More than once. Successfully. I've installed VCP. More than once. With very little loss of blood. I'm also a happy user of Module::Build and CPANPLUS, because they are superior to what is shipped in the core. John -- John Peacock Director of Information Research and Technology Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group 4720 Boston Way Lanham, MD 20706 301-459-3366 x.5010 fax 301-429-5747
