Dual lifing and dists is a TODO

[perl5.git] / README.vms

diff --git a/README.vms b/README.vms
index 5ead137..b62dbd4 100644 (file)
--- a/README.vms
+++ b/README.vms
@@ -107,6 +107,9 @@ Freeware CD-ROM from Compaq.
     ftp://ftp.lp.se/vms/
     http://www.openvms.compaq.com/freeware/
 
     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.  
 =item 3  UNZIP.EXE for VMS
 
 A combination decompressor and archive reader/writer for *.zip files.  


@@ -151,6 +154,33 @@ If you want to include socket support, you'll need a TCP/IP stack and either
 DEC C, or socket libraries.  See the "Socket Support (optional)" topic 
 for more details.
 
 DEC C, or socket libraries.  See the "Socket Support (optional)" topic 
 for more details.
 

+=head1 Unpacking the Perl source code
+
+You may need to set up a foreign symbol for the unpacking utility of choice.
+
+If you unpack a perl source kit with a name containing multiple periods on
+an ODS-5 volume using recent versions of vmstar (e.g. V3.4 or later) you may
+need to be especially careful in unpacking the tape archive file.  Try to use
+the ODS-2 compatability qualifiers such as:
+
+    vmstar /extract/verbose/ods2 perl-V^.VIII^.III.tar
+
+or:
+
+    vmstar -xvof perl-5^.8^.3.tar
+
+If you neglected to use the /ODS2 qualifier or the -o switch then you
+could rename the source directory:
+
+    set security/protection=(o:rwed) perl-5^.8^.3.dir
+    rename perl-5^.8^.3.dir perl-5_8_3.dir
+
+Perl on VMS as of 5.8.3 does not completely handle extended file
+parse styles such as are encountered on ODS-5.  While it can be built,
+installed, and run on ODS-5 filesystems; it may encounter
+trouble with characters that are otherwise illegal on ODS-2
+volumes (notably the ^. escaped period sequence).
+

 =head1 Configuring the Perl build
 
 To configure perl (a necessary first step), issue the command
 =head1 Configuring the Perl build
 
 To configure perl (a necessary first step), issue the command


@@ -532,6 +562,12 @@ configuration script will warn if it thinks you are too deep (at least on
 a VAX or on Alpha versions of VMS prior to 7.2).  But MakeMaker will not 
 warn you if you start out building a module too deep in a directory.
 
 a VAX or on Alpha versions of VMS prior to 7.2).  But MakeMaker will not 
 warn you if you start out building a module too deep in a directory.
 

+As noted above ODS-5 escape sequences such as ^. can break the perl
+build.  Solutions include renaming files and directories as needed or
+being careful to use the -o switch or /ODS2 qualifier with latter
+versions of the vmstar utility when unpacking perl or CPAN modules
+on ODS-5 volumes.
+

 Be sure that the process that you use to build perl has a PGFLQ greater
 than 100000.  Be sure to have a correct local time zone to UTC offset
 defined (in seconds) in the logical name SYS$TIMEZONE_DIFFERENTIAL before
 Be sure that the process that you use to build perl has a PGFLQ greater
 than 100000.  Be sure to have a correct local time zone to UTC offset
 defined (in seconds) in the logical name SYS$TIMEZONE_DIFFERENTIAL before