Article 127001 of comp.os.vms:
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From: bailey@genetics.upenn.edu (Charles Bailey)
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: Remedial PERL-installation training on VMS
Date: 13 Aug 95 14:29:34 EDT
Organization: HHMI/Human Genetics, Univ of Pa.
Lines: 26
Message-ID: <1995Aug13.142934@hmivax>
References: <40ka03$dhf@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: hmivax.humgen.upenn.edu

[Reply Cc:d to poster - CB]
In article <40ka03$dhf@ixnews3.ix.netcom.com>, "Brian J. King" <bjking@ix.netcom.com> writes:
> Folks, I'm trying to install PERL from the last DECUS CD-ROM...I pulled make off the 
> CD and compiled it and it seemed to be OK...but when I dragged the PERL distro over 
> and tried to make it, make reported problems with commands in the makefile.  
> Specifically, it tried to interpret @ signs as command executions...

First off, I'd recommend that you pick up the current VMS test version of Perl
from genetics.upenn.edu, in [.perl5]perl5_001_yymmddx.zip, where yymmddx
indicates the datae of the last change.  It's way ahead of what's on the CD (an
early version of Perl 5.000, unless the CD's been updated recently).

WRT make, it's a bit tough for me to predict how different make(1) clones will
interpret the @ under VMS.  The Makefile in the [.vms] subdirectory assumes
that your make clone will treat a leading @ on an action line as a "hush"
indicator (i.e. don't echo the command).  If your make clone passes it on to
VMS, so that you're trying to invoke files like If.com based on lines like
	@ If f$$search("foo.exe") then delete/log/noconfirm foo.exe;*
you can just edit out the leading @.

For an even simpler (and better tested) solution, just grab MMK from the CD,
and build Perl using MMK/Descrip=[.VMS] (plus whatever macros are necessary --
SOCKET, DECC, __DEBUG__, whatever).

Regards,
Charles Bailey  bailey@genetics.upenn.edu