Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules

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

Despite several posts here and elsewhere, I have still not been successful in installing a Perl module (DateTime). It seems that there is some very basic stuff that I have missed. It has been surprisingly difficult to get this to work.

What I need is a step-by-step idiots guide to configure a new Mac (OS X 10.4.10) for the installation of Perl modules, in particular DateTime. When I've got it sorted for one Mac, I'm going to repeat the process for other Macs.

Note that the idiots guide MUST be something that anyone can follow, and its got to go through the entire process. What I have in mind goes as follows(its been gleaned from previous posts and websearches, and I don't claim that it is the right way or the best way to do it) and I invite your comments or suggestions;

1 Make hidden files visible. This allows you to see what's being installed and where it is being installed. Open Terminal (Applications => Utilities => Terminal) and type the command defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles Yes. The next time you open a finder window, it will show the hidden files.

Note: You'll never find the likes of usr/bin/perl unless you do this.

2 Install a C compiler. Insert Mac OS X Install DVD, execute XCode Tools => XCodeTools.mpkg, follow the prompts and accept the defaults.

Note: For some reason, you need a C compiler to run Makefile.pl and some other stuff.

3 Terminal operations (make sure your computer is connected to the internet before starting)

3a Open Terminal (Applications => Utilities => Terminal)

3b Type the command sudo perl –MCPAN –e shell

3c Input password (it's the same password as your login)

3d Do some general maintenance by typing the following commands;

install Mac::Carbon

install Bundle::LWP

install Bundle::CPAN

3e Install the module, for example DateTime.pm by typing the following commands;

look DateTime

perl Makefile.PL

make test

Note: Having gone through this process, it is now throwing up the message Can't locate Params/Validate.pm in @INC

Any help or suggestions on where I have gone wrong would be appreciated.

Comment on Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Corion (Patriarch) on Sep 22, 2007 at 07:43 UTC
You should install DateTime the same way you installed the other modules: `# from the shell / Terminal window cpan DateTime` [download] or within the CPAN shell as `install DateTime` [download] DateTime needs Params::Validate as a prerequisite and the `cpan` program will hunt down all these prerequisites for you automatically and install them for you if you let it. The default CPAN configuration is to ask whether to install prerequisites, but you might want to check that or change it from `ask` to `follow` so all prerequisites get installed without asking. Type in the `cpan` shell: `o conf prerequisites_policy` [download] check that it's `ask` or `follow` and to set the new policy to `follow` type `o conf prerequisites_policy follow` [download] Then type `o conf commit` [download] to save the current configuration if you want it to remain.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Anonymous Monk on Feb 08, 2010 at 07:11 UTC
These posts pointed me in the write direction. Hopefully, this clarification can help someone else fix this same problem. To install DateTime on Mac read the original post from Perrmoss and the reply by Corion for background info sudo CPAN go through configuration (if needed) press enter for most options except: choose "follow" for the prerequisite policy (instead of ask) personally, I made the recommended/common choices to some of the options (like UNINST=1) Now here's the key: Try to install DateTime. Every time you see an error, install the package that's missing by: Looking for text along the lines of Can't locate Params/Validate.pm in @INC (@INC or Can't locate DateTime/Locale.pm in @INC (@INC Take the "Params/Validate.pm" part and convert it to Params::Validate and run the corresponding command in CPAN: install Params::Validate For me to get the DateTime module to install I had to run the following, first: install Params::Validate install DateTime::Locale install DateTime::TimeZone Keep following that pattern and you'll get it installed, finally!!!	[reply]
Re^3: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Anonymous Monk on Feb 08, 2010 at 07:27 UTC
In addition to everything I wrote above, I also needed to run install Test::Exception So the final, full list of everything I command I ran to install DateTime on my MacBook Pro OS X 10.5.8, that has never before used perl sudo CPAN (press enter lots of times to config) install Params::Validate install DateTime::Locale install DateTime::TimeZone install Test::Exception install Test::Warn install DateTime::Format::ICal and FINALLY: install DateTime Sadly, I have no idea what I just did. All I know is it worked for me and I moved on to successfully finish setting up bugzilla. I hope this helps someone else out there (the way the posts in this thread lead me to figure this thing out) - Kevin G. a.k.a. gMale	[reply]
Re^4: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Anonymous Monk on May 06, 2010 at 14:35 UTC
Re^4: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Anonymous Monk on Mar 03, 2010 at 08:23 UTC
Re^4: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Anonymous Monk on Jan 06, 2012 at 21:40 UTC
Re^4: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by Anonymous Monk on Apr 03, 2012 at 21:11 UTC
Re: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by syphilis (Archbishop) on Sep 22, 2007 at 08:07 UTC
Note: For some reason, you need a C compiler to run Makefile.pl and some other stuff Just a minor correction to that. You don't need a C compiler to run Makefile.PL. (Admittedly, some Makefile.PL's will check that you have a working C compiler and terminate if it can't be found.) But you will need a C compiler to perform any compilations that may be needed during the 'make' phase of the build process. Cheers, Rob	[reply]
Re^2: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by randyk (Parson) on Sep 22, 2007 at 14:50 UTC
I had expected that to be true as well, but when I tried installing a pure Perl module on a Mac OS X, I found that with the default installation the error make: *** No rule to make target `/System/Library/Perl/5.8.6/darwin-thread-multi-2level/CORE/config.h', + needed by `Makefile'. Stop. [download] arose. This was fixed by installing the Xcode package, which contains the C compiler.	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by jhourcle (Prior) on Sep 23, 2007 at 01:50 UTC
Xcode contains more than just a compiler. In fact, if you just installed GCC, it wouldn't work. The actual item needed is the 'BSD Subsystem', which contains the necessary header files.	[reply]
Re^3: Configuring Mac OS X to Install Perl Modules by syphilis (Archbishop) on Sep 23, 2007 at 09:00 UTC
Is that the output from running the Makefile.PL ? It looks to me more like something you would get from running 'make' ... when the build of perl doesn't include config.h (as is often the case with non-devel perl installations on nix-like systems). But I don't have Mac OS X, so I should really just shut up. (Besides, I think I might have shifted from trying to make minor corrections, to trying to split hairs :-) Cheers, Rob	[reply]


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