-Last revised: 08-Feb-1995 by Charles Bailey bailey@genetics.upenn.edu
+Last Revised 11-September-1997 by Dan Sugalski <sugalsd@lbcc.cc.or.us>
+Originally by Charles Bailey <bailey@newman.upenn.edu>
+
+* Intro
+
+The VMS port of Perl is as functionally complete as any other Perl port
+(and as complete as the ports on some Unix systems). The Perl binaries
+provide all the Perl system calls that are either available under VMS or
+reasonably emulated. There are some incompatibilites in process handling
+(e.g the fork/exec model for creating subprocesses doesn't do what you
+might expect under Unix), mainly because VMS and Unix handle processes and
+sub-processes very differently.
+
+There are still some unimplemented system functions, and of coursse we
+could use modules implementing useful VMS system services, so if you'd like
+to lend a hand we'd love to have you. Join the Perl Porting Team Now!
+
+The current sources and build procedures have been tested on a VAX using
+VaxC and Dec C, and on an AXP using Dec C. If you run into problems with
+other compilers, please let us know.
+
+There are issues with varions versions of Dec C, so if you're not running a
+relatively modern version, check the Dec C issues section later on in this
+document.
+
+* Other required software
+
+In addition to VMS, you'll need:
+ 1) A C compiler. Dec C for AXP, or VAX C, Dec C, or gcc for the
+ VAX.
+ 2) A make tool. Dec's MMS (v2.6 or later), or MadGoat's free MMS
+ analog MMK (available from ftp.madgoat.com/madgoat) both work
+ just fine. Gnu Make might work, but it's been so long since
+ anyone's tested it that we're not sure. MMK's free, though, so
+ go ahead and use that.
+
+
+If you want to include socket support, you'll need a TCP stack and either
+Dec C, or socket libraries. See the Socket Support topic for more details.
+
+* Compiling Perl
+
+>From the top level of the Perl source directory, do this:
+
+MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS
+
+If you're on an Alpha, add /Macro=("__AXP__=1","decc=1")
+If you're using Dec C as your C compiler (you are on all alphas), add
+/Macro=("decc=1")
+If Vac C is your default C compiler and you want to use Dec C, add
+/Macro=("CC=CC/DECC") (Don't forget the /macro=("decc=1")
+If Dec C is your default C compiler and you want to use Vax C, add
+/Macro=("CC=CC/VAXC")
+If you want Socket support and are using the SOCKETSHR socket library, add
+/Macro=("SOCKETSHR_SOCKETS=1")
+If you want Socket support and are using the Dec C RTL socket interface
+(You must be using Dec C for this), add /Macro=("DECC_SOCKETS=1")
+
+If you have multiple /macro= items, combine them together in one /Macro=()
+switch, with all the options inside the parentheses separated by commas.
+
+Samples:
+
+VMS AXP, with Socketshr sockets:
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("decc=1","__AXP__=1","SOCKETSHR_SOCKETS=1")
+
+VMS AXP with no sockets
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("decc=1","__AXP__=1")
+
+VMS AXP with the Dec C RTL sockets
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]/Macro=("decc=1","__AXP__=1","DECC_SOCKETS=1")
+
+VMS VAX with default system compiler, no sockets
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS
+
+VMS VAX with Dec C compiler, no sockets
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("CC=CC/DECC","decc=1")
+
+VMS VAX with Dec C compiler, Dec C RTL sockets
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("CC=CC/DECC","decc=1","DECC_SOCKETS=1")
+
+VMS VAX with Dec C compiler, Socketshr sockets
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("CC=CC/DECC","decc=1","SOCKETSHR_SOCKETS=1")
+
+Using Dec C is recommended over Vax C. The compiler is newer, and
+supported. (Vax C was decommisioned around 1993) Various older versions had
+some gotchas, so if you're using a version older than 5.2, check the Dec C
+Issues section.
+
+We'll also point out that Dec C will get you at least a ten-fold increase
+in line-oriented IO over Vax C. The optimizer is amazingly better, too. If
+you can use Dec C, then you *really*, *really* should.
+
+
+Once you issue your MMS command, sit back and wait. Perl should build and
+link without a problem. If it doesn't, check the Gotchas to watch out for
+section. If that doesn't help, send some mail to the VMSPERL mailing list.
+Instructions are in the Mailing Lists section.
+
+* Testing Perl
+
+Once Perl has built cleanly, you need to test it to make sure things work.
+This step is very important--there are always things that can go wrong
+somehow and get you a dysfunctional Perl.
+
+Testing is very easy, though, as there's a full test suite in the perl
+distribution. To run the tests, enter the *exact* MMS line you used to
+compile Perl and add the word "test" to the end, like this:
+
+Compile Command:
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("__AXP__=1","decc=1","DECCRTL_SOCKETS=1")
+
+Test Command:
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("__AXP__=1","decc=1","DECCRTL_SOCKETS=1") test
+
+MMS will run all the tests. This may take some time, as there are a lot of
+tests. If any tests fail, there will be a note made on-screen. At the end
+of all the tests, a summary of the tests, the number passed and failed, and
+the time taken will be displayed.
+
+If any tests fail, it means something's wrong with Perl. If the test suite
+hangs (some tests can take upwards of two or three minutes, or more if
+you're on an especially slow machine, depending on you machine speed, so
+don't be hasty), then the test *after* the last one displayed failed. Don't
+install Perl unless you're confident that you're OK. Regardless of how
+confident you are, make a bug report to the VMSPerl mailing list.
+
+If one or more tests fail, you can get more info on the failure by issuing
+this command sequence:
+
+$ SET DEFAULT [.T]
+$ @[-.VMS]TEST .typ -v [.subdir]test.T
+
+where ".typ" is the file type of the Perl images you just built (if you
+didn't do anything special, use .EXE), and "[.subdir]test.T" is the test
+that failed. For example, with a normal Perl build, if the test indicated
+that [.op]time failed, then you'd do this:
+
+$ SET DEFAULT [.T]
+$ @[-.VMS]TEST .EXE -v [.OP]TIME.T
+
+When you send in a bug report for failed tests, please include the output
+from this command, which is run from the main source directory:
+
+MCR []MINIPERL "-V"
+
+Note that "-V" really is a capital V in double quotes. This will dump out a
+couple of screens worth of config info, and can help us diagnose the problem.
+
+* Cleaning up and starting fresh
+
+If you need to recompile from scratch, you have to make sure you clean up
+first. There's a procedure to do it--enter the *exact* MMS line you used to
+compile and add "realclean" at the end, like this:
+
+Compile Command:
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("__AXP__=1","decc=1","DECCRTL_SOCKETS=1")
+
+Cleanup Command:
+
+$MMS/DESCRIP=[.VMS]DESCRIP.MMS/Macro=("__AXP__=1","decc=1","DECCRTL_SOCKETS=1") realclean
+
+If you don't do this, things may behave erratically. They might not, too,
+so it's best to be sure and do it.
+
+* Installing Perl
+
+There are several steps you need to take to get Perl installed and
+running. At some point we'll have a working install in DESCRIP.MMS, but for
+right now the procedure's manual, and goes like this.
+
+1) Create a directory somewhere and define the concealed logical PERL_ROOT
+to point to it. For example, DEFINE/TRANS=(CONC,TERM) PERL_ROOT dka200:[perl.]
+
+2) Copy perl.exe into PERL_ROOT:[000000]
+
+3) Copy everything in [.LIB] and [.UTILS] (including all the
+subdirectories!) to PERL_ROOT:[LIB] and PERL_ROOT:[UTILS].
+
+4) Either copy PERLSHR.EXE to SYS$SHARE, or to somewhere globally accessble
+and define the logical PERLSHR to point to it (DEFINE PERLSHR
+PERL_ROOT:[000000]PERLSHR.EXE or something like that). The PerlShr image
+should have W:RE protections on it. (Just W:E triggers increased security in
+the image activator. Not a huge problem, but Perl will need to have any
+other shared image it accesses INSTALLed. It's a huge pain, so don't unless
+you know what you're doing)
+
+5) Either define the symbol PERL somewhere, such as
+SYS$MANAGER:SYLOGIN.COM, to be "PERL :== $PERL_ROOT:[000000]PERL.EXE", or
+install Perl into DCLTABLES.EXE )Check out the section "Installing Perl
+into DCLTABLES" for more info), or put the image in a directory that's in
+your DCL$PATH (if you're using VMS 6.2 or higher).
+
+6) Optionally define the command PERLDOC as
+PERLDOC :== $PERL_ROOT:[000000]PERL PERL_ROOT:[LIB.POD]PERLDOC.COM -T
+
+7) Optionally define the command PERLBUG (the Perl bug report generator) as
+PERLBUG :== $PERL_ROOT:[000000]PERL PERL_ROOT:[LIB]PERLBUG.COM"
+
+* Installing Perl into DCLTABLES
+
+Courtesy of Brad Hughes:
+
+Put the following, modified to reflect where your .exe is, in PERL.CLD:
+
+define verb perl
+image perl_root:[exe]perl.exe
+cliflags (foreign)
+
+and then
+
+$ set command perl /table=sys$common:[syslib]dcltables.exe -
+ /output=sys$common:[syslib]dcltables.exe
+$ install replace sys$common:[syslib]dcltables.exe
+
+and you don't need perl :== $perl_root:[exe]perl.exe.
+
+* Changing compile-time things
+
+Most of the user-definable features of Perl are enabled or disabled in
+[.VMS]CONFIG.VMS. There's code in there to Do The Right Thing, but that may
+end up being the wrong thing for you. Make sure you understand what you're
+doing, since changes here can get you a busted perl.
+
+Odds are that there's nothing here to change, unless you're on a version of
+VMS later than 6.2 and Dec C later than 5.6. Even if you are, the correct
+values will still be chosen, most likely. Poking around here should be
+unnecessary.
+
+The one exception is the various *DIR install locations. Changing those
+requires changes in genconfig.pl as well. Be really careful if you need to
+change these,a s they can cause some fairly subtle problems.
+
+* Extra things in the Perl distribution
+
+In addition to the standard stuff that gets installed, there are two
+optional extensions, DCLSYM and STDIO, that are handy. Instructions for
+these two modules are in [.VMS.EXT.DCLSYM] and [.VMS.EXT.STDIO],
+respectively.
+
+* Socket Support
+
+Perl includes a number of functions for IP sockets, which are available if
+you choose to compile Perl with socket support. (See the section Compiling
+Perl for more info on selecting a socket stack) Since IP networking is an
+optional addition to VMS, there are several different IP stacks
+available. How well integrated they are into the system depends on the
+stack, your version of VMS, and the version of your C compiler.
+
+The most portable solution uses the SOCKETSHR library. In combination with
+either UCX or NetLib, this supports all the major TCP stacks (Multinet,
+Pathways, TCPWare, UCX, and CMU) on all versions of VMS Perl runs on, with
+all the compilers on both VAX and Alpha. The socket interface is also
+consistent across versions of VMS and C compilers. It has a problem with
+UDP sockets when used with Multinet, though, so you should be aware of
+that.
+
+The other solution available is to use the socket routines built into Dec
+C. Which routines are available depend on the version of VMS you're
+running, and require proper UCX emulation by your TCP/IP vendor.
+Relatively current versions of Multinet, TCPWare, Pathway, and UCX all
+provide the required libraries--check your manuals or release notes to see
+if your version is new enough.
+
+* Reporting Bugs
+
+If you come across what you think might be a bug in Perl, please report
+it. There's a script in PERL_ROOT:[UTILS], perlbug, that walks you through
+the process of creating a bug report. This script includes details of your
+installation, and is very handy. Completed bug reports should go to
+PERLBUG@PERL.COM.
+
+* Gotchas to watch out for
+
+Probably the single biggest gotcha in compiling Perl is giving the wrong
+switches to MMS/MMK when you build. If Perl's building oddly, double-check
+your switches. If you're on a VAX, be sure to add a /Macro=("decc=1") if
+you're using Dec C, and if you're on an alpha and using MMS, you'll need a
+/Macro=("__AXP__=1")
+
+The next big gotcha is directory depth. Perl can create directories four
+and five levels deep during the build, so you don't have to be too deep to
+start to hit the RMS 8 level point. It's best to do a
+$DEFINE/TRANS=(CONC,TERM) PERLSRC disk:[dir.dir.dir.perldir.]" (note the
+trailing period) and $SET DEFAULT PERLSRC:[000000] before building. Perl
+modules can be just as bad (or worse), so watch out for them, too.
+
+Finally, the third thing that bites people is leftover pieces from a failed
+build. If things go wrong, make sure you do a "(MMK|MMS|make) realclean"
+before you rebuild.
+
+* Dec C issues
+
+Note to DECC users: Some early versions (pre-5.2, some pre-4. If you're Dec
+C 5.x or higher, with current patches if anym you're fine) of the DECCRTL
+contained a few bugs which affect Perl performance:
+ - Newlines are lost on I/O through pipes, causing lines to run together.
+ This shows up as RMS RTB errors when reading from a pipe. You can
+ work around this by having one process write data to a file, and
+ then having the other read the file, instead of the pipe. This is
+ fixed in version 4 of DECC.
+ - The modf() routine returns a non-integral value for some values above
+ INT_MAX; the Perl "int" operator will return a non-integral value in
+ these cases. This is fixed in version 4 of DECC.
+ - On the AXP, if SYSNAM privilege is enabled, the CRTL chdir() routine
+ changes the process default device and directory permanently, even
+ though the call specified that the change should not persist after
+ Perl exited. This is fixed by DEC CSC patch AXPACRT04_061.
+
+* Mailing Lists
+
+There are several mailing lists available to the Perl porter. For VMS
+specific issues (including both Perl questions and installation problems)
+there is the VMSPERL mailing list. It's usually a low-volume (10-12
+messages a week) mailing list.
+
+The subscription address is VMSPERL-REQUEST@NEWMAN.UPENN.EDU. Send a mail
+message with just the words SUBSCRIBE VMSPERL in the body of the message.
+
+The VMSPERL mailing list address is VMSPERL@NEWMAN.UPENN.EDU. Any mail
+sent there gets echoed to all subscribers of the list.
+
+The Perl5-Porters list is for anyone involved in porting Perl to a
+platform. This includes you, if you want to participate. It's a high-volume
+list (60-100 messages a day during active development times), so be sure
+you want to be there. The subscription address is
+Perl5-Porters-request@perl.org. Send a message with just the word SUBSCRIBE
+in the body. The posting address is Perl5-Porters@perl.org.
+
+* Acknowledgements
+
+A real big thanks needs to go to Charles Bailey
+<bailey@newman.upenn.edu>, who is ultimately responsible for Perl 5.004
+running on VMS. Without him, nothing the rest of us have done would be at
+all important.
+
+There are, of course, far too many people involved in the porting and testing
+of Perl to mention everyone who deserves it, so please forgive us if we've
+missed someone. That said, special thanks are due to the following:
+ Tim Adye <T.J.Adye@rl.ac.uk>
+ for the VMS emulations of getpw*()
+ David Denholm <denholm@conmat.phys.soton.ac.uk>
+ for extensive testing and provision of pipe and SocketShr code,
+ Mark Pizzolato <mark@infocomm.com>
+ for the getredirection() code
+ Rich Salz <rsalz@bbn.com>
+ for readdir() and related routines
+ Peter Prymmer <pvhp@lns62.lns.cornell.edu)
+ for extensive testing, as well as development work on
+ configuration and documentation for VMS Perl,
+ Dan Sugalski <sugalsd@stargate.lbcc.cc.or.us>
+ for extensive contributions to recent version support,
+ development of VMS-specific extensions, and dissemination
+ of information about VMS Perl,
+ the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory and the
+ Laboratory of Nuclear Studies at Cornell University for
+ the the opportunity to test and develop for the AXP,
+and to the entire VMSperl group for useful advice and suggestions. In
+addition the perl5-porters deserve credit for their creativity and
+willingness to work with the VMS newcomers. Finally, the greatest debt of
+gratitude is due to Larry Wall <larry@wall.org>, for having the ideas which
+have made our sleepless nights possible.
+
+Thanks,
+The VMSperl group
+
+
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+[Here's the pre-5.004_04 version of README.vms, for the record.]
+
+Last revised: 19-Jan-1996 by Charles Bailey bailey@genetics.upenn.edu
The VMS port of Perl is still under development. At this time, the Perl
binaries built under VMS handle internal operations properly, for the most
have you!
The current sources and build procedures have been tested on a VAX using VAXC
-and on an AXP using DECC. If you run into problems with other compilers,
-please let us know.
+and DECC, and on an AXP using DECC. If you run into problems with other
+compilers, please let us know.
Note to DECC users: Some early versions of the DECCRTL contained a few bugs
which affect Perl performance:
- Newlines are lost on I/O through pipes, causing lines to run together.
This shows up as RMS RTB errors when reading from a pipe. You can
work around this by having one process write data to a file, and
- then having the other read the file, instead of the pipe.
+ then having the other read the file, instead of the pipe. This is
+ fixed in version 4 of DECC.
- The modf() routine returns a non-integral value for some values above
INT_MAX; the Perl "int" operator will return a non-integral value in
- these cases.
-Both of these bugs have been fixed in later releases of the DECCRTL, but some
-systems running AXP/VMS 1.5 still have the old RTLs.
+ these cases. This is fixed in version 4 of DECC.
+ - On the AXP, if SYSNAM privilege is enabled, the CRTL chdir() routine
+ changes the process default device and directory permanently, even
+ though the call specified that the change should not persist after
+ Perl exited. This is fixed by DEC CSC patch AXPACRT04_061.
* Other software required
At the moment, in addition to basic VMS, you'll need two things:
- a C compiler: VAXC, DECC, or gcc for the VAX; DECC for the AXP
- - a make tool: DEC's MMS or the free analog MMK (available from ftp.spc.edu)
- or a standard make utility (e.g. GNU make, also available from
- ftp.spc.edu).
-In addition, you may include socket support if you have a IP stack running
+ - a make tool: DEC's MMS (version 2.6 or later) or the free analog MMK
+ (available from ftp.spc.edu), or a standard make utility (e.g. GNU make,
+ also available from ftp.spc.edu).
+In addition, you may include socket support if you have an IP stack running
on your system. See the topic "Socket support" for more information.
* Socket support
Perl includes a number of IP socket routines among its builtin functions,
which are available if you choose to compile Perl with socket support. Since
IP networking is an optional addition to VMS, there are several different IP
-stacks available, it's difficult to automate the process of building Perl with
-socket support in a way which will work on all systems.
+stacks available, so it's difficult to automate the process of building Perl
+with socket support in a way which will work on all systems.
By default, Perl is built without IP socket support. If you define the macro
-SOCKET when invoking MMS, however, socket support will be included. As
+SOCKET when invoking MMK, however, socket support will be included. As
distributed, Perl for VMS includes support for the SOCKETSHR socket library,
which is layered on MadGoat software's vendor-independent NETLIB interface.
This provides support for all socket calls used by Perl except the
-[g|s]et*ent() routines, which are replaced for the moment by stubs which
+[g|s]etnet*() routines, which are replaced for the moment by stubs which
generate a fatal error if a Perl script attempts to call one of these routines.
-If you'd like to link Perl directly to your IP stack to take advantage of these
-routines or to eliminate the intermediate NETLIB, then make the following
-changes:
+Both SOCKETSHR and NETLIB are available from MadGoat ftp sites, such as
+ftp.spc.edu or ftp.wku.edu.
+
+You can link Perl directly to your TCP/IP stack's library, *as long as* it
+supplies shims for stdio routines which will properly handle both sockets and
+normal file descriptors. This is necessary because Perl does not distinguish
+between the two, and will try to make normal stdio calls such as read() and
+getc() on socket file descriptors. If you'd like to link Perl directly to
+your IP stack, then make the following changes:
- In Descrip.MMS, locate the section beginning with .ifdef SOCKET, and
change the SOCKLIB macro so that it translates to the filespec of your
IP stack's socket library. This will be added to the RTL options file.
- Edit the file SockAdapt.H in the [.VMS] subdirectory so that it
- includes the In.H, NetDb.H, and, if necessary, Errno.H header files
- for your IP stack, or so that it declares the standard TCP/IP data
- structures appropriately (see the distributed copy of SockAdapt.H
- for a collection of the structures needed by Perl.) You should also
- define any logical names necessary to find these files before invoking
- MMS to build Perl.
+ includes the Socket.H, In.H, Inet.H, NetDb.H, and, if necessary,
+ Errno.H header files for your IP stack, or so that it declares the
+ standard TCP/IP constants and data structures appropriately. (See
+ the distributed copy of SockAdapt.H for a collection of the structures
+ needed by Perl itself, and [.ext.Socket]Socket.xs for a list of the
+ constants used by the Socket extension, if you elect to built it.)
+ You should also define any logical names necessary for your C compiler
+ to find these files before invoking MM[KS] to build Perl.
- Edit the file SockAdapt.C in the [.VMS] subdirectory so that it
contains routines which substitute for any IP library routines
required by Perl which your IP stack does not provide. This may
require a little trial and error; we'll try to compile a complete
list soon of socket routines required by Perl.
+
* Building Perl under VMS
Since you're reading this, presumably you've unpacked the Perl distribution
the VMS Makefile to alter directory paths as necessary. (I'd advise using the
`normal' directory tree, at least for the first time through.) This
subdirectory contains several files, among which are the following:
- Config.VMS - A template C header file set up for VMS.
+ Config.VMS - A template Config.H set up for VMS.
Descrip.MMS - The MMS/MMK dependency file for building Perl
GenConfig.Pl - A Perl script to generate Config.SH retrospectively
from Config.VMS, since the Configure shell script which
files, since not all make utilities can do this easily.
Gen_ShrFls.Pl - A Perl script which generates linker options files and
MACRO declarations for PerlShr.Exe.
- Makefile - The make dependency file for building Perl
+ Makefile - The make dependency file for building Perl
MMS2Make.Pl - A Perl script used to generate Makefile from Descrip.MMS
+ PerlVMS.pod - Documentation for VMS-specific behavior of Perl
+ Perly_[CH].VMS - Versions of the byacc output from Perl's grammar,
+ modified to include VMS-specific C compiler options
+ SockAdapt.[CH] - C source code used to integrate VMS TCP/IP support
+ Test.Com - DCL driver for Perl regression tests
VMSish.H - C header file containing VMS-specific definitions
VMS.C - C source code for VMS-specific routines
- WriteMain.Pl - A Perl script used to generate perlmain.c during the build.
-There may also be other files pertaining to features under development; for the
-most part, you can ignore them.
+ VMS_Yfix.Pl - Perl script to convert Perly.[CH] to Perly_[CH].VMS
+ WriteMain.Pl - Perl script to generate Perlmain.C
+The [.Ext...] directories contain VMS-specific extensions distributed with
+Perl. There may also be other files in [.VMS...] pertaining to features under
+development; for the most part, you can ignore them. Note that packages in
+[.ext.*] are not built with Perl by default; you build the ones you want
+once the basic Perl build is complete (see the perlvms docs for instructions
+on building extensions.)
Config.VMS and Decrip.MMS/Makefile are set up to build a version of Perl which
includes all features known to work when this release was assembled. If you
wish to make site-specific changes to Descrip.MMS or Makefile to reflect local
conventions for naming of files, etc.
-At the moment, system-specific information which becomes part of the Perl
-Config extension is hard-coded into the file genconfig.pl in the vms
-subdirectory. Before you build Perl, you should make any changes to the list
-at the end of this file necessary to reflect your system (e.g your hostname and
-VMS version).
+There are several pieces of system-specific information which become part of
+the Perl Config extension. Under VMS, the data for Config are generated by the
+script GenConfig.Pl in the [.VMS] subdirectory. It tries to ascertain the
+necessary information from various files, or from the system itself, and
+generally does the right thing. There is a list of hard-coded values at the
+end of this script which specifies items that are correct for most VMS systems,
+but may be incorrect for you, if your site is set up in an unusual fashion. If
+you're familiar with Perl's Config extension, feel free to edit these values as
+necessary. If this doesn't mean much to you, don't worry -- the information is
+probably correct, and even if it's not, none of these parameters affect your
+ability to build or run Perl. You'll only get the wrong answer if you ask for
+it specifically from Config.
Examine the information at the beginning of Descrip.MMS for information about
specifying alternate C compilers or building a version of Perl with debugging
support. For instance, if you want to use DECC, you'll need to include the
-/macro="decc=1" qualifier to MMS (If you're using make, these options are not
+/macro="decc=1" qualifier to MMK (If you're using make, these options are not
supported.) If you're on an AXP system, define the macro __AXP__ (MMK does
this for you), and DECC will automatically be selected.
symbols which would interfere with the build. Then, if you are using MMS or
MMK, say
$ MMS/Descrip=[.VMS] ! or MMK
-If you are using make, say
+(N.B. If you are using MMS, you must use version 2.6 or later; a bug in
+earlier versions produces malformed cc command lines.) If you are using a
+version of make, say
$ Make -f [.VMS]Makefile
Note that the Makefile doesn't support conditional compilation, is
set up to use VAXC on a VAX, and does not include socket support. You can
found in the [.VMS] subdirectory, to generate a new Makefile with the options
appropriate to your site.
-Note for sites using early versions of DECC: A bug in some versions of the
-DECC RTL causes newlines to be lost when writing to a pipe. This causes
-Gen_ShrFls.pl to fail, since it can't read the preprocessor output to identify
-global variables and routines. You can work around this problem by defining
-the macro DECC_PIPES_BROKEN when you invoke MMS or MMK.
+If you are using MM[SK], and you decide to rebuild Perl with a different set
+of parameters (e.g. changing the C compiler, or adding socket support), be
+sure to say
+$ MMK/Descrip=[.VMS] realclean
+first, in order to remove files generated during the previous build. If
+you omit this step, you risk ending up with a copy of Perl which
+composed partially of old files and partially of new ones, which may lead
+to strange effects when you try to run Perl.
+
+A bug in some early versions of the DECC RTL on the AXP causes newlines
+to be lost when writing to a pipe. A different bug in some patched versions
+of DECC 4.0 for VAX can also scramble preprocessor output. Finally, gcc 2.7.2
+has yet another preprocessor bug, which causes line breaks to be inserted
+into the output at inopportune times. Each of these bugs causes Gen_ShrFls.pl
+to fail, since it can't parse the preprocessor output to identify global
+variables and routines. This problem is generally manifested as missing
+global symbols when linking PerlShr.Exe or Perl.Exe. You can work around
+it by defining the macro PIPES_BROKEN when you invoke MMS or MMK.
+
This will build the following files:
Miniperl.Exe - a stand-alone version of without any extensions.
used to build PerlShr.Exe. It should be used when
rebuilding PerlShr.Exe via MakeMaker-produced
Descrip.MMS files for static extensions.
+ c2ph - Perl program which generates template code to access
+ C struct members from Perl.
+ h2ph - Perl program which generates template code to access
+ #defined constants in a C header file from Perl,
+ using the "old-style" interface. (Largely supplanted
+ by h2xs.)
+ h2xs - Perl program which generates template files for creating
+ XSUB extensions, optionally beginning with the #defined
+ constants in a C header file.
+ [.lib.pod]perldoc - A Perl program which locates and displays documentation
+ for Perl and its extensions.
[.Lib]Config.pm - the Perl extension which saves configuration information
about Perl and your system.
- [.lib]DynaLoader.pm - The Perl extension which performs dynamic linking of
+ [.Lib]DynaLoader.pm - The Perl extension which performs dynamic linking of
shareable images for extensions.
+ Several subdirectories under [.Lib] containing preprocessed files or
+ site-specific files.
There are, of course, a number of other files created for use during the build.
Once you've got the binaries built, you may wish to `build' the `tidy' or
`clean' targets to remove extra files.
+If you run into problems during the build, you can get help from the VMSPerl
+or perl5-porters mailing lists (see below). When you report the problem,
+please include the following information:
+ - The version of Perl you're trying to build. Please include any
+ "letter" patchlevel, in addition to the version number. If the
+ build successfully created Miniperl.Exe, you can check this by
+ saying '$ MCR Sys$Disk:[]Miniperl -v'. Also, please mention
+ where you obtained the distribution kit; in particular, note
+ whether you were using a basic Perl kit or the VMS test kit
+ (see below).
+ - The exact command you issued to build Perl.
+ - A copy of all error messages which were generated during the build.
+ Please include enough of the build log to establish the context of
+ the error messages.
+ - A summary of your configuration. If the build progressed far enough
+ to generate Miniperl.Exe and [.Lib]Config.pm, you can obtain this
+ by saying '$ MCR Sys$Disk:[]Miniperl "-V"' (note the "" around -V).
+ If not, then you can say '$ MMK/Descrip=[.VMS] printconfig' to
+ produce the summary.
+This may sound like a lot of information to send, but it'll often make
+it easier for someone to spot the problem, instead of having to give
+a spectrum of possibilities.
+
+
* Installing Perl once it's built
Once the build is complete, you'll need to do the following:
- Put PerlShr.Exe in a common directory, and make it world-readable.
If you place it in a location other than Sys$Share, you'll need to
- define the logical name PerlShr to point to the image.
- - Put Perl.Exe in a common directory, and make it world executable
+ define the logical name PerlShr to point to the image. (If you're
+ installing on a VMScluster, be sure that each node is using the
+ copy of PerlShr you expect [e.g. if you put PerlShr.Exe in Sys$Share,
+ do they all share Sys$Share?]).
+ - Put Perl.Exe in a common directory, and make it world-executable.
- Define a foreign command to invoke Perl, using a statement like
$ Perl == "$dev:[dir]Perl.Exe"
- Create a world-readable directory tree for Perl library modules,
remember that a rooted logical name cannot have as its device portion
another rooted logical name - you've got to supply the actual device name
and directory path to the root directory.)
- - Define the logical name PERLSHR as the full file specification of
- PERLSHR.EXE, so executable images linked to it can find it. Alternatively,
- you can justput PERLSHR.EXE int SYS$SHARE.
- - Place the files from the [.lib] subdirectory in the distribution package
- into a [.lib] subdirectory off the root directory described above.
+ - Place the files from the [.lib...] directory tree in the distribution
+ package into a [.lib...] directory tree off the root directory described
+ above.
- Most of the Perl documentation lives in the [.pod] subdirectory, and
is written in a simple markup format which can be easily read. In this
directory as well are pod2man and pod2html translators to reformat the
docs for common display engines; a pod2hlp translator is under development.
- Information on Perl can also be gleaned from the files in the [.doc]
- subdirectory (internals documents and summaries of changes), and from
- the test scripts in the [.t...] subdirectories.
-For now, that's it.
+ These files are copied to [.lib.pod] during the installation.
+ - Define a foreign command to execute perldoc, such as
+ $ Perldoc == "''Perl' Perl_Root:[lib.pod]Perldoc -t"
+ This will allow users to retrieve documentation using Perldoc. For
+ more details, say "perldoc perldoc".
+That's it.
+If you run into a bug in Perl, please submit a bug report. The PerlBug
+program, found in the [.lib] directory, will walk you through the process
+of assembling the necessary information into a bug report, and sending
+of to the Perl bug reporting address, perlbug@perl.com.
* For more information
-If you're interested in more information on Perl in general, consult the Usenet
-newsgroup comp.lang.perl. The FAQ for that group provides pointers to other
-online sources of information, as well as books describing Perl in depth.
+If you're interested in more information on Perl in general, you may wish to
+consult the Usenet newsgroups comp.lang.perl.announce and comp.lang.perl.misc.
+The FAQ for these groups provides pointers to other online sources of
+information, as well as books describing Perl in depth.
If you're interested in up-to-date information on Perl development and
internals, you might want to subscribe to the perl5-porters mailing list. You
can do this by sending a message to perl5-porters-request@nicoh.com, containing
the single line
-subscribe perl5-porters Your Name Here
-This is a moderately high-volume list at the moment (25-50 messages/day).
+subscribe perl5-porters
+This is a high-volume list at the moment (>50 messages/day).
-Finally, if you're interested in ongoing information about the VMS port, you
-can subscribe to the VMSperl mailing list by sending a request to
-bailey@genetics.upenn.edu (it's to a human, not a list server - this is a small
-operation at the moment). And, as always, we welcome any help or code you'd
+If you're interested in ongoing information about the VMS port, you can
+subscribe to the VMSPerl mailing list by sending a request to
+vmsperl-request@genetics.upenn.edu, containing the single line
+subscribe VMSPerl
+as the body of the message. And, as always, we welcome any help or code you'd
like to offer - you can send mail to bailey@genetics.upenn.edu or directly to
-the VMSperl list at vmsperl@genetics.upenn.edu.
+the VMSPerl list at vmsperl@genetics.upenn.edu.
+
+Finally, if you'd like to try out the latest changes to VMS Perl, you can
+retrieve a test distribution kit by anonymous ftp from genetics.upenn.edu, in
+the file [.perl5]perl5_ppp_yymmddx.zip, where "ppp" is the current Perl
+patchlevel, and "yymmddx" is a sequence number indicating the date that
+particular kit was assembled. In order to make retrieval convenient, this
+kit is also available by the name Perl5_VMSTest.Zip. These test kits contain
+"unofficial" patches from the perl5-porters group, test patches for important
+bugs, and VMS-specific fixes and improvements which have occurred since the
+last Perl release. Most of these changes will be incorporated in the next
+release of Perl, but until Larry Wall's looked at them and said they're OK,
+none of them should be considered official.
Good luck using Perl. Please let us know how it works for you - we can't
guarantee that we'll be able to fix bugs quickly, but we'll try, and we'd
for the getredirection() code
Rich Salz <rsalz@bbn.com>
for readdir() and related routines
- Denis Haskin <DWH@epub.ziff.com>
- for work on a pod-to-hlp translator for the Perl documentation
- Richard Dyson <dyson@blaze.physics.uiowa.edu> and
- Kent Covert <kacovert@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu>
- for additional testing on the AXP.
+ Peter Prymmer <pvhp@lns62.lns.cornell.edu)
+ for extensive testing, as well as development work on
+ configuration and documentation for VMS Perl,
+ the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory and the
+ Laboratory of Nuclear Studies at Cornell University for
+ the the opportunity to test and develop for the AXP,
and to the entire VMSperl group for useful advice and suggestions. In addition
the perl5-porters, especially Andy Dougherty <doughera@lafcol.lafayette.edu>
and Tim Bunce <Tim.Bunce@ig.co.uk>, deserve credit for their creativity and
willingness to work with the VMS newcomers. Finally, the greatest debt of
-gratitude is due to Larry Wall <lwall@netlabs.com>, for having the ideas which
+gratitude is due to Larry Wall <larry@wall.org>, for having the ideas which
have made our sleepless nights possible.
Thanks,
projects / p5sagit/p5-mst-13.2.git / blobdiff