Sysadmins should know how to keep track of the two. Developers likely not, but then the sysadmins should be helping them out by setting appropriate PATH related environment variables, etc. And really talented developers will pick up the necessary sysadmin skills. So really all you have done is point out that you can't fix stupid.

That still doesn't change that there should be a clean Perl installation that the OS, third party vendors, etc. can use safely and another installation that the developers can have some fun with (i.e. if they break t it doesn't break the Perl used by OS scripts, vendor scripts, etc.).

There are conflicting goals at play: a stable, clean Perl installation that the OS, vendors, etc. can rely on and the need for a Perl installation that can be enhanced and upgraded. If you have two (or more) Perl installations then you can have your cake and eat it to. Otherwise, you have to pick.

[ Of course that's ignoring that the cake is a lie! ;-) ]

Hah!! And the current situation Apple and Mac users currently find themselves in is so much better?

Nope, just saying why your so-called "solution" isn't much better. :)

-- Randal L. Schwartz, Perl hacker

Hmm, let me clarify. You know how some third-party apps ship with their own version of Perl (or Java)? Well, I think that's what should be done for operating system related tasks. A special Perl dedicated to that that can be kept clean and pure as possible. And then there should be a Perl on the system meant for more general use. Right now most people, including sysadmins, that I see just use the Perl provided in the distro. Some of these are people just running it at home, or do not have a lot of sysadmin experience. So in effect it is fostering bad habits. I see people even here at work that I consider to be good SysAdmins doing this. And it can be hard to argue against because it's one of those common sense things once you have enough experience. So if the OS vendors (e.g. Red Hat) started doing something like what I suggest above then that would become a Best Practice.

Elda Taluta; Sarks Sark; Ark Arks