Setting the path when a module installs (arcnon)

Setting the path when a module installs

arcnon

created: 2006-01-04 18:13:29

perlmonks

node
author

prlmnks

node
author

what is the best practice for setting the path of a library if it isn't in their path?

warn them to set the path?

try and set it myself like: `set path=($path /usr/local/bin)`; or `PATH=${PATH}:/usr/local/bin`;

Is their a standard for this type of thing when writing a module?

edit: sorry that I wasn't specific enough... On OSX when you install allegro the path to the conf file is at /usr/local/bin/allegro-config

When you try and install the perl allegro pm it can't find this file because it isn't in the path. I thought I might write a patch for it. That why I am interested in what is the best practice for this type of thing. So makefile.pl can suck the info it needs and I do it the right way.

Re: Setting the path when a module installs

sh1tn

created: 2006-01-04 18:43:56

perlmonks

prlmnks

The pragma use lib.

Re: Setting the path when a module installs

l3v3l

created: 2006-01-04 18:43:58

perlmonks

prlmnks

since %ENV is a (special) hash, if you are going to put more custom libs or custom programs into a specific location, I would just set it for your script with something like:

$ENV{'PATH'} = q(/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin:/home/custom_stuff);

Re: Setting the path when a module installs

Corion

created: 2006-01-05 02:29:34

perlmonks

prlmnks

Note that you can only set the environment variables for your child processes and not for your parent process (unless you're on Win32).

So if you're running child processes (like a C compiler) from your Makefile.PL, the following will work:

use Config '%Config';
my $allegro_dir = '/usr/local/bin/';
$ENV{PATH} .= ":" . $allegro_dir;
...

The following won't do what you want though:

`PATH=$ENV{PATH}:$allegro_dir`;

because that will launch a child process, which sets the PATH environment variable and then ends. And the changes are gone with the end of the child too.