Base 64-bit Cygwin now requires Perl?

[Larry Hall (Cygwin)]

On 06/18/2014 04:25 PM, Douglas Coup wrote:
>
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> On 6/18/2014 4:14 PM, Chris J. Breisch wrote:
>> Steven Penny wrote:
>>> On Fri, Aug 9, 2013 at 12:17 PM, Steven Penny wrote:
>>>> Because of this dependency line
>>>
>>> This issue is back again, now with
>>>
>>> man-db
>>>    lynx
>>>      perl
>>>
>>> OP
>>> http://cygwin.com/ml/cygwin/2013-08/msg00152.html
>>>
>>
>> Yes, this is true, and my guess is that it will remain so.
>>
>> man-db depends on lynx, and that's not a dependency that is easily
>> removed, even if I was inclined to try, which I'm not. It needs some sort
>> of WWW browser. I don't think that can be disabled. It's not a configure
>> option to do so, so it'd have to be handled through Cygwin specific
>> patches to the source. I haven't looked into how difficult that would be
>> yet. Perhaps it's not all that difficult. I'll take a glance when I get home.
>>
>> While the browser doesn't have to be lynx, that's probably the simplest one.
>>
>> lynx depends on perl. I'm not 100% sure this is a valid dependency. I
>> don't notice that as a dependency on other systems. I think it comes from
>> the fact that there's a sample perl script included in the installation.
>> This is just sample code, and is merely to demonstrate using a perl script
>> with lynx as a CGI. If Im correct and this is the reason for this
>> dependency (I don't see anything else), it could likely be removed. I'm
>> not the Cygwin project manager or the lynx maintainer, however, and such a
>> decision would have to be left to them.
>>
>> However, I wonder if the answer here isn't just to move perl into base.
>> perl scripts are used everywhere, even in startup/shutdown scripts on some
>> Unix systems. I think most people at this point expect a Unix environment
>> to have perl.
> Just for my two cents, does "move perl into base" mean that a Cygwin install
> would always install Cygwin's perl and would not allow perl to be skipped?
> I'm asking because we use ActiveState perl; we've had problems trying to run
> some of our scripts using Cygwin's perl. Every time a Cygwin install tries
> to bring in Cygwin's perl, we either have to mark it to be skipped or let it
> install and then run setup again to de-install it.

Yes, moving Perl to the Base category would mean that it would always be
installed.  When the pros and cons of this change were debated in the past,
the decision then was to leave Perl out of the Base category.

-- 
Larry

_____________________________________________________________________

A: Yes.
 > Q: Are you sure?
 >> A: Because it reverses the logical flow of conversation.
 >>> Q: Why is top posting annoying in email?

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