[MacPorts] #50711: how to get perl5.18 installed

[MacPorts]

#50711: how to get perl5.18 installed
---------------------------+---------------------
  Reporter:  bridget_wu@…  |      Owner:  mojca@…
      Type:  defect        |     Status:  new
  Priority:  High          |  Milestone:
 Component:  ports         |    Version:
Resolution:                |   Keywords:
      Port:  perl5         |
---------------------------+---------------------
Changes (by mojca@…):

 * version:  2.3.4 =>


Comment:

 The `perl5` port no longer provides a variant `+perl5_18`:

 {{{
 > port variants perl5
 perl5 has the variants:
 [+]perl5_22: Use MacPorts perl5.22
 }}}

 Maybe MacPorts should issue a warning when users request a non-existing
 variant?

 While it would be pretty easy to add the variant back, this would break
 many ports that depend on Perl and potentially install some files under
 version-specific path.

 If you need perl 5.18, just do
 {{{
 sudo port install perl5.18
 }}}
 and make sure that the program refers to `perl5.18` rather than just
 `perl`. Alternatively you can set your own local repository and do a
 trivial modification of the `perl5` port (I can help you resurrect an old
 version of `perl5` from SVN which still has the required variants).

 However there is a more important caveat. In the light of #50512, there
 are proposals to get rid of old and no longer maintained perl versions (or
 to eventually end up with support for a single Perl version anyway, see
 #50000). This means that many developers are in favour of completely
 removing perl5.18 from MacPorts.

 Can you please explain your use case, or the reason why you need perl5.18
 specifically (why perl5.22 doesn't work for you)? You can answer in
 #50512.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://trac.macports.org/ticket/50711#comment:4>
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