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2.15.1. 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 http://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 user name and password. (The default user name 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:

  1. Unpack the distribution into the current directory: 

    shell> gunzip < DBI-VERSION.tar.gz | tar xvf -

    This command creates a directory named DBI-VERSION.

  2. Change location into the top-level directory of the unpacked distribution: 

    shell> cd DBI-VERSION

  3. 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 do not 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: http://servers.digitaldaze.com/extensions/perl/modules.html#modules

Look under the heading “Installing New Modules that Require Locally Installed Modules.”


User Comments

Posted by Aaron Aston on August 10 2004 12:51pm[Delete] [Edit]

I ran into the same problem after installing MySQL from RPM. Turns out that you must install MySQL-devel* (ie: Libraries and header files) as well as MySQL-client* and MySQL-server*.

Posted by Andrew Greene on October 5 2004 5:21pm[Delete] [Edit]

Note that if you've been a good doobie and already changed the root password then the DBD::mysql tests will fail.

Posted by Philip Mak on December 4 2004 2:36pm[Delete] [Edit]

If you try to install DBD::mysql on RedHat 8/9 and get this error message repeated over and over:

Unsuccessful stat on filename containing newline at /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.0/ExtUtils/Liblist/Kid.pm line 97.

then try typing "unset LANG" and then do it again.

Source: http://lists.mysql.com/perl/2840

Posted by Manish Agrawal on June 18 2008 3:29pm[Delete] [Edit]

I have got into lots of Test errors while installing DBD::mysql. These errors were like "all skipped: ERROR: Access denied for user 'root'@'localhost' (using password: NO). Can't continue test". So what I did at cpan shell:
cpan>o conf makepl_arg "--testuser=root --testpass=root123"
It dictates CPAN to use ROOT user and its password. Then install was Ok.

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