On 2007-01-09 11:19:46 -0500, Guy Hulbert wrote:
> On Tue, 2007-09-01 at 14:10 +0000,
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
> > The one in /usr/bin has this at the top of the file:
> >
> > #!/usr/bin/perl -Tw
> >
> > eval 'exec /usr/bin/perl -Tw -S $0 ${1+"$@"}'
> > if 0; # not running under some shell
> >
> > I realise that this does nothing, but just wondered why it was in the
> > make install version and not in the raw tar ball one.
>
> It's required on platforms which don't know about '#!' (e.g. windows).
I'm quite sure that Windows can't expand ${1+"$@"} either.
That's for Unixes which don't know about #! and execute everything which
isn't binary using the Bourne shell. I don't know if any such Unix still
exists and if it needs ${1+"$@"} instead of "$@", but once upon a time
it was needed and it does no harm (the lines are carefully constructed
to be both valid Perl and valid sh commands).
> > Would I be correct in thinking that I should continue to use the raw
> > tar ball code and not start pointing to the "make install" version of
> > everything?
Your choice. "make install" replaces the #! line with one suitable for
the local system (perl isn't installed in /usr/bin on all systems) and
installs everything into system-standard locations. I went that route
for the RPM packages and Devin did the same for the Debian Packages. For
a local install you may or may not want that, depending whether you're a
fan of the FHS or of the "one directory-tree per package" philosophy.
> I have not heard of anyone running it from the installed version like
> this yet. I'm not brave enough to try :-).
Everybody who uses the Debian packages or RPMs, does.
> There is a debian package of 0.32 for the pending release (etch) and
> this would use the "make install" version but Debian does their own q.a.
> and patches.
I can't speak for Devin, but as the maintainer of the RPMs I can say
that I do try to get any changes necessary back upstream (not always to
the delight of the core maintainers :-)).
hp
--
_ | Peter J. Holzer | I know I'd be respectful of a pirate
|_|_) | Sysadmin WSR | with an emu on his shoulder.
| | | [EMAIL PROTECTED] |
__/ | http://www.hjp.at/ | -- Sam in "Freefall"
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