2.13.1. Installing Perl on Unix
MySQL Perl support requires that you have installed MySQL client
programming support (libraries and header files). Most
installation methods install the necessary files. However, if
you installed MySQL from RPM files on Linux, be sure that you've
installed the developer RPM. The client programs are in the
client RPM, but client programming support is in the developer
RPM.
If you want to install Perl support, the files you need can be
obtained from the CPAN (Comprehensive Perl Archive Network) at
https://search.cpan.org.
The easiest way to install Perl modules on Unix is to use the
CPAN module. For example:
shell> perl -MCPAN -e shell
cpan> install DBI
cpan> install DBD::mysql
The DBD::mysql installation runs a number of
tests. These tests attempt to connect to the local MySQL server
using the default username and password. (The default username
is your login name on Unix, and ODBC on
Windows. The default password is “no password.”) If
you cannot connect to the server with those values (for example,
if your account has a password), the tests fail. You can use
force install DBD::mysql to ignore the failed
tests.
DBI requires the
Data::Dumper module. It may be installed; if
not, you should install it before installing
DBI.
It is also possible to download the module distributions in the
form of compressed tar archives and build the
modules manually. For example, to unpack and build a DBI
distribution, use a procedure such as this:
-
Unpack the distribution into the current directory:
shell> gunzip < DBI-VERSION.tar.gz | tar xvf -
This command creates a directory named
DBI-VERSION.
-
Change location into the top-level directory of the unpacked
distribution:
shell> cd DBI-VERSION
-
Build the distribution and compile everything:
shell> perl Makefile.PL
shell> make
shell> make test
shell> make install
The make test command is important because it
verifies that the module is working. Note that when you run that
command during the DBD::mysql installation to
exercise the interface code, the MySQL server must be running or
the test fails.
It is a good idea to rebuild and reinstall the
DBD::mysql distribution whenever you install
a new release of MySQL, particularly if you notice symptoms such
as that all your DBI scripts fail after you
upgrade MySQL.
If you don't have access rights to install Perl modules in the
system directory or if you want to install local Perl modules,
the following reference may be useful:
https://servers.digitaldaze.com/extensions/perl/modules.html#modules
Look under the heading “Installing New Modules that
Require Locally Installed Modules.”
