HOWTO - do local ppm module install (fix "Could not locate a PPDfile")

[ROC]

for ActiveState Perl 5.6 at least. I am offering this from my
experience this morning with an urgent need to install and use the
Date::Calc module (why on earth would that be left out of a default
install? It seems to me to be such an obvious function to make up for
the Windows cmd shell lack in that regard) to get an overdue project a
bit further along. Since it took me over an hour to piece together
clues from various Perl doc resources, and google searches, I hope this
how-to is a bit of giveback to the Perl community (esp newbies/dabblers
like me ;-). Any corrections and enhancements are certainly welcome!

This was necessary for installation on a server behind a firewall (and I
do not care to risk my job by violating security policies in trying to
"find" a way to proxy out to the ActiveState repositories - and hoping
this much "initiative" is not in violation either ;-).

What worked for me:


1. Download/unzip the Perlmod package to a dir WITHOUT SPACES IN ITS
PATH LIKE "DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS". ppm does not seem able to "ignore"
the spaces (even with the surrounding quotes), and thus uses them as
command separators.

2. Run "ppm":

PPM> set repository Local C:\sysfiles\perlmod

PPM> set

Commands will be confirmed.
Temporary files will be deleted.
Case-insensitive searches will be performed.
Package installations will continue if a dependency cannot be installed.
Tracing info will not be written.
Screens will not pause.
Query/search results will be verbose.
Current PPD repository paths:
ActiveState Package Repository:
soap://www.ActiveState.com/cgibin/SOAP/ppmserver.plex?class=PPM::SOAPServer
Local: C:\sysfiles\perlmod
Packages will be built under: C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp
[Guess I could have used the 8.3 munged dir name as above?]

[NOTE: get rid of the ActiveState web repository setting!!!]

PPM> set repository --remove ActiveState Package Repository

PPM> set

Commands will be confirmed.
Temporary files will be deleted.
Case-insensitive searches will be performed.
Package installations will continue if a dependency cannot be installed.
Tracing info will not be written.
Screens will not pause.
Query/search results will be verbose.
Current PPD repository paths:
Local: C:\sysfiles\perlmod
Packages will be built under: C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\LOCALS~1\Temp

PPM> install --location=Local Date-Calc

Install package 'Date-Calc?' (y/N): y
Retrieving package 'Date-Calc'...
Error installing package 'Date-Calc': Could not locate a PPD file for
package Date-Calc

[Note: do not specify the "--location" parameter (dunno why it's
available - not for local directory specs?) ]

PPM> install Date-Calc

Install package 'Date-Calc?' (y/N): y

Retrieving package 'Date-Calc'...
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Date\Calc\Calc.bs
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Date\Calc\Calc.dll
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Date\Calc\Calc.exp
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Date\Calc\Calc.lib
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calc.pm
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calc.pod
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calendar.pm
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calendar.pod
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calendar\Profiles.pm
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calendar\Profiles.pod
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calendar\Year.pm
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calendar\Year.pod
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calc\Object.pm
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Date\Calc\Object.pod
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Carp\Clan.pm
Installing D:\Perl\site\lib\Carp\Clan.pod
Writing D:\Perl\site\lib\auto\Date\Calc\.packlist
PPM>quit
Quit!

C:\

It appears from "help set" that "set save" would make my mod permanent,
but there might be another "policy issue" there...

My perl program worked like a champ with this module after this update.
=======

HTH,
ROC