does CPAN still work?

[David Cantrell]

On Fri, Aug 10, 2007 at 12:26:16PM +0100, Michael Stillwell wrote:

> I downloaded from 1.9102 from cpan.org (because installing from CPAN
> itself wasn't working right, I think because it was using parts of the
> system's CPAN, plus a local $HOME/.cpan/build/MyConfig.pm),

It can be hard to figger out what's happening in that situation.  I
generally strace or similar to find all the open() system calls, to see
what config files it's really using.

>   $ cpan
>   Can't use an undefined value as a symbol reference at
>   /data/homes/mstillwel/local/lib/CPAN/CPAN.pm line 1015.
> It seems like no-one else is having these problems, but I didn't think
> I had an especially unusual setup

Line 1015 is around about where CPAN.pm tries to find/create your .cpan
directory and/or a private config.  I'd guess that your config is
pointing it at somewhere that doesn't exist, or where it doesn't have
permission to go.

Again, strace will help you find exactly what's happening.

-- 
David Cantrell | top google result for "topless karaoke murders"

    Fashion label: n: a liferaft for personalities
    which lack intrinsic buoyancy