Perl error, once and for all

[Scott Haneda]

On Feb 25, 2009, at 11:53 PM, Ryan Schmidt wrote:
>> Is this saying, the new port I am installing, has in it  
>> "Module.pm", and is trying to write over /opt/local/lib/perl5/5.8.9/ 
>> Test/Builder/Module.pm ?  If that is the case, would it not be  
>> acceptable to version check the to be installed, against the  
>> already installed.  If they are equal, move on, that is graceful.
>>
>> If they are not equal, I am not sure what to do, logically, you  
>> could ask the user to figure it out, that seems half baked.   
>> Picking the newest version seems dangerous. Leaving it alone, seems  
>> problematic.  Installing it elsewhere, and hooking your currently  
>> installed port into it would be acceptable, if that is even possible.
>
> MacPorts operates under the assumption that exactly one port will  
> provide a file at a given path. The combination of perl5.8 and  
> whatever module it is that you were installing that wanted to  
> install Test/Builder/Module.pm is in violation of that assumption.  
> Sometimes this occurs because perl5.8 didn't used to include a  
> particular module (hence a separate port was created) but now due to  
> a version update perl5.8 does already include that module (making  
> the separate port unnecessary). Sometimes the separate port may  
> provide a newer version.

Ok, so if I am getting this, perl5.8 has a module already installed  
and the p5 I want to put is in also trying to put it in.  This is the  
core conflict?

Which one do you chose is the issue?

At the very least, let me chose, but the -f can force things to happen  
even deeper down the chain, and it would be a bear to back out of those.

> I do not think we need to change the MacPorts error message from the  
> one that is currently being printed. It is accurate.

I agree, though we need to figure out how to make the message go away.
--
Scott

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