> I know the guide is posted on line. I would like to
> get a copy on my server to save on traffic. Moreover,
> I don't want a PDF copy - not as friendly (to me).
> Exactly what is
> Pod::HtmlPsPdf
> and how (and why) do I install it. Thanks.
This is a module, available off of CPAN:
http://www.cpan.org/modules/by-module/Pod/Pod-HtmlPsPdf-0.04.tar.gz
(Written by Stas, in fact!)
It allows you to create HTML, Ps (Postscript) and PDF documents given POD.
What is POD (or Pod)? "Plain Old Documentation". This is the native
documentation format for Perl modules. For any perl module you have
installed on your system, you can read its documentation by the
"perldoc MODULENAME" command. The perldoc command will scan the module
for its included POD, and then render the POD for your reading pleasure.
----------------------
What is CPAN?
CPAN is the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network. It is a vast collection
of user-contributed Perl modules that cover a vast array of common (and
not so common) tasks that you might wish to cover. It will simplify
your life greatly.
There is an installation procedure that you can follow that will allow
you to take a module off of CPAN and put it on your computer. There
is documentation available on the CPAN web site, http://www.cpan.org/
that you can read and learn and therefore allow you to install the
modules. (Usually it's not difficult to install a module -- you should
usually be able to do it in 5 command lines, or less if you don't mind
stringing a bunch of them together with "&&" logical joiners.)
There is a module available on CPAN called "CPAN" that, if you already
have it installed on your system, can greatly ease your task of installing
modules off of CPAN. If you have it installed, I suggest you use it.
If you don't have it installed, I suggest you install it and then use it
to install all future modules.
----------------------
How can you tell if you nave module Foo::Bar::Baz installed?
perl -MFoo::Bar::Baz -e 'print "$Foo::Bar::Baz::VERSION\n";'
If you have the module installed, this command will tell you the version
of the module you have installed. If you don't have it installed, then
it'll spew out a few lines regarding how Foo::Bar::Baz can't be found
within the Perl module include path of your system. (called @INC)
Note that some CPAN modules -- *including* Pod::HtmlPsPdf" -- have
*dependancies*. Sometimes these dependancies are other Perl modules.
(if so, then the CPAN module can automatically follow the depedancies
and install the modules that are depended-upon and install them).
Sometimes the dependancies depend on you having other *non* Perl programs
(or libraries) installed on your system If you try to install a Perl
module that has one of these kinds of dependancies and you don't have
the thing that is depended upon on your system, then the module
installation attempt will fail and you will have to go and install
that thing first before you try installing your Perl module again.
*Pay attention* to what the installation error report says -- it should
provide you with the information (or at least the clues) you need in
order to successfully install the module.
----------------------
How do you install pieces of software that aren't Perl that the
random CPAN module that you're trying to install might need?
That depends on your operating system. I use Debian GNU/Linux.
Lots of people use RedHat based Linux systems. And then there's
Solaris. And other Unices. And (gasp!) Windows OSes. Each one
has a different way to approach this problem.
It also depends on the program / library in question.
I'll have to let you work on this part yourself for now, at least
until you've put in a few hours of trying on your own and you can
come back with a few specific questions. (i.e. "I need to install
the following, I tried doing the following, it didn't work, and
here's the error message I'm getting. My system setup is the following.
What's going on?")
----------------------
Another useful piece of information -- you can read the POD of a module
without it already being installed on your machine! You do this by
going to www.cpan.org and looking info re: CPAN module documentation.
There are several selections along these lines -- pick one, check it out,
see if it gives you what you want, and if not then check out another
one. Rinse, lather, repeat...
I suggest you check out the Pod::HtmlPsPdf documentation online using
this technique. Here's a direct URL, just because I'm such a nice
guy...
http://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/CPAN/data/Pod-HtmlPsPdf/Pod/HtmlPsPdf.html
----------------------
Why am I going into so much detail?
Because it seems like you haven't done this kind of thing before.
Note that the mod_perl installation itself (if you aren't using some
packaged module like an RPM or DEB or something like that) includes
a bunch of outside dependancies.
You'll always be faced with challenges when it comes to administering a
Perl site of any degree of complexity, and that includes mod_perl. But
once you learn the ins and outs, it's really not so bad. Be willing
to learn. That's the best advice I can give.
Cheers,
Richard
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Richard Dice * Personal 416 841 7365 * Fax 416 841 7364
ShadNet Creator * http://shadnet.shad.ca/ * [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Occasional Writer, HotWired * http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/
"squeeze the world 'til it's small enough to join us heel to toe"
- jesus jones
