Re: [aclug-L] [debian] Upgrading outside package system

[John Goerzen <jgoerzen@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Carl D Cravens <raven@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> > Potato will actually allow you to have two versions of Perl on your
> > system at once.  Those programs that function with both will work with 
> > either one; thost that require 5.005 will depend on it.  Quite a nice
> > system, I think.
> 
> I dislike the idea, but I'd live with it if necessary.  (I hated having 
> to keep two versions of perl at SouthWind, but we couldn't get rid of 
> perl4.)

Well, Debian does not enforce it (all the potato scripts will work
with 5.005; some also work with 5.004); it's just there to make
upgrading easier if you have lots of custom modules.  It is done in a
much cleaner fashion than in BSDi, though :-)

> > My best advice is to install your newer version entirely in
> > /usr/local.  This will keep it separate from the "official" version
> 
> I think that's what I'll end up doing if I need the newer version.  I 
> have a bunch of stuff in /usr/local/lib/perl, but realized that Debian 
> didn't put it there... my wife did.

Right.  :-)

Debian policy states that the system will never install files in
/usr/local.  It may, however, create directories that can later be
populated with files if desired.

-- John