-=================================================
+=====================================================================
Perl 5 README file for the EPOC operating system.
-==================================================
+=====================================================================
-Olaf Flebbe (o.flebbe@science-computing.de)
-http://www.fortunecity.de/wolkenkratzer/trumpet/84/perl5.html
-June 27, 1999
+Olaf Flebbe <o.flebbe@gmx.de>
+http://www.linuxstart.com/~oflebbe/perl/perl5.html
+2000-05-15
+=====================================================================
Introduction
-------------
+=====================================================================
-This is a port of Perl version 5, revision 005-57 to EPOC.
+EPOC is a OS for palmtops and mobile phones. For more informations look at:
+http://www.symbian.com/
-There are many features left out, because of restrictions of the posix
-support in the SDK.
+This is a port of Perl version 5.6.0 to EPOC. It runs on the Perl
+Series 5, Series 5mx and the Psion Revo and on the Ericson M128.
-The following known problems do exist:
+Features are left out, because of restrictions of the POSIX support.
-1) very little testing.
+=====================================================================
+Installation/Usage
+=====================================================================
-2) no support for system, backquoting, pipes etc. One cannot exec a
- different process.
+You will need ~4MB free space in order to install and run perl.
-3) no signals, kill. Do not try to use them.
+Install perl.sis on the EPOC machine (most likely a PSION Series 5,
+5mx). If you do not know how to do that, you are on your own.
-4) select is missing.
+Perl itself and its standard library are using 2.5 MB disk space. I
+left out unicode support modules and modules which will not work with
+this version. (For details look into epoc/createpkg.pl). If you like
+to use them, you are free to copy them from a current perl release.
-5) binmode does not work. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
+Copy eshell.exe from the same page you got perl to your EPOC device.
+Start eshell.exe with a double tap.
-6) no Config.pm
+Now you can enter: perl -de 0 in order to run the perl debugger. If
+you are leaving perl, you get into the system screen. You have to
+switch back manually to eshell.exe When perl is running, you will see
+a task with the name STDOUT in the task list.
-7) no I/O redirection.
+======================================================================
+IO Redirection
+======================================================================
-8) it may not run from a drive other than C: (I have no CF Card to test)
+You can redirect the output with the UNIX bourne shell syntax (this is
+built into perl rather then eshell) For instance the following command
+line will run the script test.pl with the output redirected to
+stdout_file, the errors to stderr_file and input from stdin_file.
-9) sockets may hardly of any use.
+perl test.pl >stdout_file <stdin_file 2>stderr_file
-10) You need a shell in order to run perl.exe.
+Alternativly you can use 2>&1 in order to add the standard error
+output to stdout.
+======================================================================
+PATH Names
+======================================================================
+Pathnames to executables in eshell.exe have to be written with
+backslashes '\', file arguments to perl with slashes '/'. The default
+drive of perl is the same as the drive perl.exe is located on, the
+default path seems to be '/'.
+
+i.e. command lines look a little bit funny:
+
+D:\perl.exe C:/test.pl >C:/output.txt
+
+You can automatically search for file on all EPOC drives with a ? as
+the driver letter. For instance ?:\a.txt seraches for C:\a.txt,
+D:\b.txt (and Z:\a.txt).
+
+======================================================================
+Editors
+======================================================================
+
+You may have a problem to create perl scripts. A cumbersome workaround
+is to use the OPL Editor and exporting to text.
+
+The OPL+ Editor is quite good. (Shareware: http://www.twiddlebit.com)
+There is a port of vim around:
+ http://www.starship.freeserve.co.uk/index.html
+
+======================================================================
+Restrictions
+======================================================================
+
+The following things are left out of this perl port:
+
++ backquoting, pipes etc.
+
++ system() does not inherit ressources like: file descriptors,
+ environment etc.
+
++ signal, kill, alarm. Do not try to use them. This may be
+ impossible to implement on EPOC.
+
++ select is missing.
+
++ binmode does not exist. (No CR LF to LF translation for text files)
+
++ EPOC does not handle the notion of current drive and current
+ directory very well (i.e. not at all, but it tries hard to emulate
+ one) See PATH.
+
++ You need the shell eshell.exe in order to run perl.exe and supply
+ it with arguments.
+
++ Heap is limited to 4MB.
+
+===================================================================
Compiling Perl 5 on the EPOC cross compiling envionment.
---------------------------------------------------------
+===================================================================
-0. You will need the C++ SDK from
- http://developer.epocworld.com/. Install it on a separate drive.
+Sorry, this is far too short.
-1. Unpack the sources in the epoc development drive: The sources
- should be in a directory perl5.005/perl5.005_57
+ You will need the C++ SDK from http://developer.epocworld.com/.
-2. Move all files in the directory perl5.005_57/epoc to perl5.005_57.
+ You will need to set up the cross SDK from
+ http://www.linuxstart.com/~oflebbe
-3. Check the perl.mmp file: It should have the correct locations for
- project und subproject (see step 1)
+ You may have to adjust config.sh (cc, cppflags) for your epoc
+ install location.
-4. Change to the EPOC development drive and run
- makmake perl marm
- nmake -f perl.marm
- makesis perl.pkg perl5.005.sis
+ You may have to adjust config.sh for your cross SDK location
-5. Beam the perl5.005.sis to the Psion5, install and enjoy!
+ Get the Perl sources from your nearest CPAN site.
-ToDo List
----------
+ Unpack the sources.
-- Allocate an UID from symbian.
+ Build a native perl from this sources...
+ cp epoc/* .
+ ./Configure -S
+ make perl
+ cp miniperl.native miniperl
+ make perl
+ perl link.pl perlmain.o lib/auto/DynaLoader/DynaLoader.a \
+ lib/auto/Data/Dumper.a \
+ lib/auto/File/Glob/Glob.a lib/auto/IO/IO.a \
+ lib/auto/Socket/Socket.a perl.a `cat ext.libs`
+ perl createpkg.pl
+ wine "G:/bin/makesis perl.pkg perl.sis"
-- Implement system() and I/O redirection, in order to run the
- tests.
-- Implement getprotcolbyname() and relatives.
+====================================================================
+Wish List
+====================================================================
-- Implement perl as a OPX module. (What do you think?)
+- Threads ?
+- Acess to the GUI?
+====================================================================
Support Status
---------------
+====================================================================
I'm offering this port "as is". You can ask me questions, but I can't
guarantee I'll be able to answer them; I don't know much about Perl
-itself;
-
+internals myself.
https://perl5.git.perl.org / perl5.git / blobdiff