May be I'm re-inventing the wheel, if so, please criticize. I write to the Mail List and not to BTS, may be later I'l make a post to BTS.
I dislike very much to watch how the admins I'm acquainted with install perl-modules with the help of the command perl -MCPAN -e shell, however there's no other way out when the package is not included into deb-repositary. Many of them simply can't build a deb-package. Is it possible to take this work under control of the control system? I think if in the system of controlling the packages there would be an opportunity of univocal (single-valued) search of a deb-package according to the name of a perl-module [1], then it would give the following opportunity (and besides the simple ease of search of a package name (sometimes it is rather hard to find a deb-package in repository according to the name of perl-module)): it would be possible to write a script (working for example under debconf control)) with the following characteristics: 1. when refreshing of any of packages with perl-modules its call would be organized (by analogy with update-menu) 2. this script would scan the directories with the modules installed and taken from cpan and make their list 3. having a list of modules it would make a search [1] of deb-packages containing such modules and if the search is successful it would offer to install them (with the help of the blocks of debconf dialogue) 4. it would delete the modules installed from CPAN that were replaced by the modules from deb-packages. So when refreshing the system the modules installed from cpan would be replaced by the modules from deb-packages (if they've appeared). I could take up and write such a script however at first it is necessary to create a univocal search [1], and its realization (may be somebody will offer the better decision, won't he) demands to change the policy a bit. I offer to include new fields into debian/contol, for example: Export-Perl-Modules: WWW::Mechanize, WWW::Mechanize::Image, ... These fields may be filled in by hand or it is better to entrust this function to dh_perl (or a new utility of such kind). Also it would be good if the same utility installes in #DEBHELPER# section the call of a script described above, let it be called update-perl-modules. However these are the details of realization which are deserve to be discussed only after the principle decision of the question [1]: adding of a field to the debian/control file. This is the question I offer to discuss. PS: may be there are the same problems with installing the modules for other languages and may be we should discuss there not only an additional field Export-Perl-Modules, but also, for example, Export-(Python|TCL|Ruby|\w+)-Modules? I would like to subject this idea to the criticism from DDs who maintain perl-modules for Debian for a long time. I delved deeply into these problems only recently and so I may offer to solve the problems which have been already solved. Then correct me ;) Dmitry
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