I just spoke with Tels, the author of Math::BigInt. He was puzzled why 02packages.details.txt.gz was reporting Math::BigInt version 0.01 inside perl to be the latest version.
Digging around a little inside 03modlist.data.gz, it seems CPAN thinks it's owned by MARKB. There is no MARKB, however he owns Math::BigInt, Math::BigFloat and Math::BigRat. Math::BigFloat has the same problem as Math::BigInt, 02packages points to 0.02 inside perl. Math::BigRat I can't find anywhere. I've come upon this problem so often, the CPAN index pointing at weird versions of modules. I have a feeling it's a symptom of CPAN trying to protect module ownership. TELS doesn't "own" Math::BigInt, so it won't display his "rogue" release. Unfortunately, CPAN is often wrong about who owns a module. Either the transfer of ownership wasn't made officially via PAUSE, or something got corrputed along the way. This ownership protection is supposed to prevent an unofficial version of a module from appearing on the CPAN index in the event of two authors quarreling over a namespace. Worse, it's *causing* the very problem it's trying to prevent! I've had trouble with this myself numerous times (and still am with certain modules). I believe the problem of rogue versions to be a non-problem. I've never had a problem. I've never heard of there being a problem. The only times I know of there being a problem it was either a mistake/oversight or the two authors resolved it amongst themselves (without having to wait in line at [EMAIL PROTECTED] court). So just junk it. Just pick the highest numbered (preferably non-core) release. Its simpler, its easier to understand, its right more often than the current system, and perhaps most importantly, conflicts can be resolved without them waiting for the CPAN cabal to get around to fixing it. -- Michael G. Schwern <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.pobox.com/~schwern/ Perl Quality Assurance <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Kwalitee Is Job One Summer sun beats down I sigh and wait for winter warm paste enemas. -- mjd
