source: trunk/essentials/dev-lang/perl/README.vms

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=head1 NAME

README.vms - Configuring, building, testing, and installing perl on VMS

=head1 SYNOPSIS

To configure, build, test, and install perl on VMS:

    @ Configure
    mms
    mms test
    mms install

mmk may be used in place of mms in the last three steps.

=head1 DESCRIPTION

=head2 Important safety tip

The build and install procedures have changed significantly from the 5.004
releases!  Make sure you read the "Configuring the Perl Build", "Building 
Perl", and "Installing Perl" sections of this document before you build or 
install.  Also please note other changes in the current release by having
a look at L<perldelta/VMS>.

Also note that, as of Perl version 5.005 and later, an ANSI C compliant 
compiler is required to build Perl.  VAX C is *not* ANSI compliant, as it 
died a natural death some time before the standard was set.  Therefore 
VAX C will not compile Perl 5.005 or later.  We are sorry about that.

If you are stuck without Compaq (formerly DEC) C consider trying Gnu C
instead, though there have been no recent reports of builds using Gnu C. 
There is minimal support for Compaq C++ but this support is not complete;
if you get it working please write to the vmsperl list (for info see
L</"Mailing Lists">).


=head2 Introduction to Perl on VMS

The VMS port of Perl is as functionally complete as any other Perl port
(and as complete as the ports on some Unix systems). The Perl binaries
provide all the Perl system calls that are either available under VMS or
reasonably emulated. There are some incompatibilities in process handling
(e.g. the fork/exec model for creating subprocesses doesn't do what you
might expect under Unix), mainly because VMS and Unix handle processes and
sub-processes very differently.

There are still some unimplemented system functions, and of course we
could use modules implementing useful VMS system services, so if you'd like
to lend a hand we'd love to have you.  Join the Perl Porting Team Now!

The current sources and build procedures have been tested on a VAX using
DEC C, and on an AXP using DEC C. If you run into problems with
other compilers, please let us know.  (Note: DEC C was renamed to Compaq C
around version 6.2).

There are issues with various versions of DEC C, so if you're not running a
relatively modern version, check the "DEC C issues" section later on in this
document.

=head2 Other required software for Compiling Perl on VMS

In addition to VMS and DCL you will need two things:

=over 4

=item 1  A C compiler. 

DEC (now Compaq) C or gcc for VMS (AXP or VAX).

=item 2  A make tool. 

DEC's MMS (v2.6 or later), or MadGoat's free MMS
analog MMK (available from ftp.madgoat.com/madgoat) both work
just fine. Gnu Make might work, but it's been so long since
anyone's tested it that we're not sure.  MMK is free though, so
go ahead and use that.

=back

=head2 Additional software that is optional for Perl on VMS

You may also want to have on hand:

=over 4

=item 1  GUNZIP/GZIP.EXE for VMS 

A de-compressor for *.gz and *.tgz files available from a number 
of web/ftp sites and is distributed on the OpenVMS Freeware CD-ROM 
from Compaq.

    http://www.fsf.org/order/ftp.html
    http://www.openvms.compaq.com/freeware/
    http://www.crinoid.com/utils/

=item 2  VMS TAR 

For reading and writing unix tape archives (*.tar files).  Vmstar is also 
available from a number of web/ftp sites and is distributed on the OpenVMS
Freeware CD-ROM from Compaq.

    ftp://ftp.lp.se/vms/
    http://www.openvms.compaq.com/freeware/

Recent versions of VMS tar on ODS-5 volumes may extract tape archive
files with ^. escaped periods in them.  See below for further workarounds.

=item 3  UNZIP.EXE for VMS

A combination decompressor and archive reader/writer for *.zip files.  
Unzip is available from a number of web/ftp sites.

    http://www.info-zip.org/UnZip.html
    http://www.openvms.compaq.com/freeware/
    ftp://ftp.openvms.compaq.com/
    ftp://ftp.madgoat.com/madgoat/
    ftp://ftp.process.com/vms-freeware/

=item 4  MOST

Most is an optional pager that is convenient to use with perldoc (unlike 
TYPE/PAGE, MOST can go forward and backwards in a document and supports