On 9 Aug 2010, at 16:01, Daniel Carrera wrote: > On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 4:37 PM, Eric J. Roode <wxperl.d...@gmail.com> wrote: >> That's actually a good reason *not* to use the package manager. >> >> Lots of system packages depend on perl, so most modern *nix distros >> come with a basic perl set up with predictable settings. But if >> you're doing development, you don't want to be mucking around with the >> system perl, because you could break something in the OS by installing >> a flaky package, or upgrading to a new version of a package with a >> changed API. So it is always good practice to leave the system perl >> alone, and build a local perl for everyone's everyday use. > > > I don't think that makes any sense. The Perl package from Debian is > not meant "only for system use". It *is* supposed to be entirely > suitable for you to develop programs in Perl, that's what I use it > for, and this is the first time I ever hear of someone wanting to have > a whole other compile of Perl in order to avoid using the Perl that > came with their Linux distro for no other reason than because it came > with the distro. > > Finally, installing the wxPerl package from Ubuntu does not constitute > "mucking about" with the Perl that came with Ubuntu. That makes no > sense.
I have to agree with Eric here. Anything that involves installing new modules or upgrading older modules in the system perl install constitutes "mucking about with perl". It is always advisable to leave the system perl alone and install your own somewhere else (eg /usr/local). This can also prevents system package updates from messing about with *your* development, as was demonstrated on OSX last year when Apple released a security update that "broke" perl for anyone who had used CPAN on their system perl install, see here for details: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/16/apple_update_perl_breakage/ adam
