Chris, I am a rank beginner when it comes to programming and compiling, but let me say this upfront -- once I know how to solve some of the roadblocks, installing PDL is actually not very difficult. I might even say, in retrospect, it is quite straightforward.
There is one known issue with the Makefile generated for PDL::Graphics::PLplot (well documented in earlier messages by me and others). If that is taken care of, PDL::Graphics::PLplot installs without any hitch. Most libraries that PDL depends on install very easily on a Mac. A simple ./configure make sudo make install does the work successfully. The ones that are troublesome are PGPlot, PLplot and f77 related stuff. For f77, I just got the precompiled software from hpc.sourceforge.net. It installs in /us/local, and just works. PLplot worked once I figured out that my existing older libraries, both from Apple (the X11R6 crud) and from the 32-bit days were interfering. Dependencies have dependencies... most all of them install easily, although patience is required. SciKarl or something like that that gives a 1-click install experience would be great, and might even work for most folks. It would also work for me, as long as it plays with my own Perl, not with Apple's Perl. I have a load of other stuff installed that I use (unrelated to PDL), and I would rather have all of it flow from a single Perl install in my /usr/local. Once I can get everything working on my laptop, I then install it on my server(s), so I need to know/learn/take the more difficult path. Unless... unless there is a one-click install that works with my own Perl (so, SciKarl, with the ability to specific PREFIX). More below -- On Sun, Jul 4, 2010 at 2:36 PM, Chris Marshall <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Matt/Puneet- > > Puneet brought up some reasons he had for not using > the SciKarl install to kickstart his PDL work, see > this thread: > > http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/pipermail/perldl/2010-July/005812.html > > and this one: > > http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/pipermail/perldl/2010-July/005829.html > > The related discussion suggests to me that the current > "lore" of building and capabilities of running PDL on > Mac OS X systems are out of sync. If the solution to > someone getting PDL on a Mac working at the latest rev > is to build the whole mess by hand and disable all the > PDL features then something is wrong. :-( > > I was thinking that there might be a way that SciKarl > could work its directories to alleviate Puneet's concerns > about overwriting system perl paths, maybe by making a > specific SciKarl PREFIX and LIB for the build. > > Also needed is a full clean build debug and test for > the latest PDL. Unfortunately, Puneet started working > with PDL before the TriD and other items were resolved > and he has changed his OS/platform from 32 to 64 bit > as well leaving his install in a mix of old broken PDL > and 32 and 64 bit library skew. > This is likely to be a common reality. For many Mac users, they go to 64-bit via 32-bit (upgrade Mac OS X 10.5.x to 10.6.x). This leaves a lot of custom stuff in the 32-bit world still hanging around. Very unlikely that a user will have a clean machine. For those that do, installs will be a lot easier. > This sort of work is a pain, but it is also the kind > that only needs to be done once---if done right. I'm > hoping to complete my baseline windows PDL for a release > at the end of the summer. It would be nice if the > Mac OS X build/install issues were sorted out as well. > (I think there is a lot less distance to go there) One way would be to have a savvy Mac user work out all the kinks in the various PDL components and provides all the workarounds and fixes right at source. That may be quite a bit of work, but might be worthwhile. Understandably, since you are not a Mac user, you are not going to be able to fix the issues. If someone has specific issues, I think I can help them. > > The goals as I see them: > > (1) 1-click install (w SciKarl?) > > (2) build out of box from CPAN sources. ideally > just get source, untar, perl Makefile.PL, make, > make test, and make install. > > (3) README or doc updates so Mac users can immediately > go to the right place for their install > > Thoughts? > Chris > > P.S. I don't have any actual knowledge of what or how > stuff works on the mac since I do not have that platform. > -- Puneet Kishor http://www.punkish.org Carbon Model http://carbonmodel.org Charter Member, Open Source Geospatial Foundation http://www.osgeo.org Science Commons Fellow, http://sciencecommons.org/about/whoweare/kishor Nelson Institute, UW-Madison http://www.nelson.wisc.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Assertions are politics; backing up assertions with evidence is science ======================================================================= _______________________________________________ Perldl mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.jach.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/perldl
