README.beos - Perl version 5.8+ on BeOS

- NAME
- DESCRIPTION
- BUILD AND INSTALL

- Requirements
- Configure
- Build
- Install

- KNOWN PROBLEMS
- CONTACT

# NAME

README.beos - Perl version 5.8+ on BeOS

# DESCRIPTION

This file contains instructions how to build Perl under BeOS and lists known problems.

# BUILD AND INSTALL

## Requirements

I have built and tested Perl 5.8.6 and 5.9.1 under BeOS R5 x86 net server. I can't say anything with regard to PPC. Since Perl 5.8.0 had been released for BeOS BONE, I suspect, there is a good chance, that it still compiles on a BONE system. The only change I've made, that affects BONE systems is the recognition of whether it is a BONE system or not in `hints/beos.sh`. Now network socket support should remain enabled on BONE systems. This might as well break the build, though.

As more recent versions of autoconf require `flock()` support, I wrote a `flock()` emulation (flock_server) and released it on BeBits:

            http://www.bebits.com/app/4030

If you want to build a Perl with `flock()` support, you have to install this package first.

## Configure

With `flock()` support:

            CFLAGS=-I/path/to/flock/server/headers ./configure.gnu \
                    --prefix=/boot/home/config

Replace `/path/to/flock/server/headers` with the path to the directory containing the `flock.h` header.

Without `flock()` support:

            ./configure.gnu --prefix=/boot/home/config

## Build

With `flock()` support:

            make LDLOADLIBS="-lnet -lflock"

Without `flock()` support:

            make LDLOADLIBS="-lnet"

`-lnet` is needed on net server systems only and if the compiler doesn't add it automatically (Be's R5 gcc does, Oliver Tappe's gcc 2.95.3 does not).

## Install

Install all perl files:

            make install

Create a symlink for libperl:

            cd ~/config/lib; ln -s perl5/5.8.6/BePC-beos/CORE/libperl.so .

Replace `5.8.6` with your respective version of Perl.

# KNOWN PROBLEMS

- Network socket support is disabled for BeOS R5 net server. I didn't dare yet to try enabling it and see what problems occur.

- The LFS (large file support) tests (`t/op/lfs` and `xt/Fcntl/t/syslfs`) are disabled as seeking beyond 2 GB is broken according to jhi@iki.fi who was the last one checking the BeOS port and updating this file before me. Haven't checked this myself.

- The `t/io/fflush` test fails at #6. As far as I can tell, this is caused by a bug in the BeOS pipes implementation that occurs when starting other child processes. In the particular test case a `system("perl -e 0")` flushes the stdout pipe of another child process.

- The `ext/POSIX/t/waitpid` test fails at #1. After all child processes are gone BeOS' waitpid(-1,...) returns 0 instead of -1 (as it should). No idea how to fix this.

# CONTACT

For BeOS specifics problems feel free to mail to: Ingo Weinhold <bonefish@cs.tu-berlin.de>

Last update: 2004-12-16

README.beos - Perl version 5.8+ on BeOS