Bug #34768 for Mail-SPF: Can't install as non-root / PREFIX not heeded

Tue Apr 08 10:40:13 2008 MSTEVENS [...] cpan.org - Ticket created

Subject:

Can't install as non-root

Mail::SPF installer doesn't respect the perl installation prefix. I have a test perl 5.10 install in /tmp/perl-5.10-install. CPAN modules should install under this prefix. When I try to install Mail::SPF, it complains it can't write to /usr/sbin: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ERROR: Can't create '/usr/sbin' Do not have write permissions on '/usr/sbin' !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! at /tmp/perl-5.10.0-install/lib/5.10.0/Module/Build/Base.pm line 2804 JMEHNLE/mail-spf/Mail-SPF-v2.005.tar.gz ./Build install -- NOT OK I'm installing from CPAN.pm.

Sun Aug 17 09:41:05 2008 EDAVIS [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

This also affects installing the old-fashioned way: % perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=/home/ed % make [ok] % make test [ok] % make install [...] Cannot forceunlink /usr/sbin/spfd: Permission denied at /usr/share/perl/5.8/File/Find.pm line 886 The location of the sbin directory should respect PREFIX.

Sun Aug 17 09:41:08 2008 The RT System itself - Status changed from 'new' to 'open'

Sun Aug 17 12:09:39 2008 JMEHNLE [...] cpan.org - Subject changed from 'Can't install as non-root' to 'Can't install as non-root / PREFIX not heeded'

Sun Aug 17 12:18:47 2008 JMEHNLE [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

Hi there. I am aware of the issue. Unfortunately neither Perl's hard-coded config variables nor Module::Build (nor ExtUtils::MakeMaker) provide an automatism for determining the proper "sbin" path -- only "bin". Consequently, module authors would have to implement all the PREFIX / install_base logic themselves for such custom paths. To date I haven't found the time to do so, and it isn't exactly high on my priority list, but I will gladly accept a clean patch. Sorry for not being able to give a more positive reaction.

Wed Nov 12 16:02:18 2008 HVDS [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

I also have a need for this. I don't particularly need spfd though (as far as I know), so I applied the attached patch after building, which was enough to let the install go through. (It is unfortunate that this is the first thing Module::Build attempts to install, so failure here means nothing gets installed at all.) I would recommend talking to p5p about a better way to do this - I don't imagine it would be hard for perl to add support for this. Hugo

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Wed Nov 12 16:06:55 2008 HVDS [...] cpan.org - Requestor HVDS added

Sat Oct 31 15:35:05 2009 JMEHNLE [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

I have decided to NOT fix this until the time when Perl's Config.pm provides the system's/user's "sbin" path and Module::Build uses that to support installing "sbin" executables (or Module::Build provides its own portable mechanism independent of Config.pm). For the time being, you can work around the current limitation by using the "--install_path" option during installation: $ ./Build install --install_path sbin=/desired/sbin/path I'm documenting this workaround in the INSTALL file.

Sat Oct 31 15:35:07 2009 JMEHNLE [...] cpan.org - Status changed from 'open' to 'stalled'

Mon Apr 12 17:12:45 2010 quanah.gibsonmount [...] gmail.com - Correspondence added

Show quoted text

> $ ./Build install --install_path sbin=/desired/sbin/path > > I'm documenting this workaround in the INSTALL file.

Your workaround doesn't work for those of use using CPAN to build a large number of modules for older platforms using CPAN. Couldn't you at least take the given build directory and tack sbin onto it?

Mon Apr 12 17:12:46 2010 The RT System itself - Status changed from 'stalled' to 'open'

Mon Apr 12 17:20:34 2010 JMEHNLE [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

On Mon Apr 12 17:12:45 2010, MISHIKAL wrote: Show quoted text

> Your workaround doesn't work for those of use using CPAN to build a > large number of modules for older platforms using CPAN. Couldn't you at > least take the given build directory and tack sbin onto it?

Why does the workaround not work? What do you mean by "the given build directory"?

Mon Feb 24 16:28:09 2014 ether [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

What's wrong with simply installing into the normal path like any other executable?

Tue Feb 25 07:08:20 2014 dolmen [...] cpan.org - Correspondence added

Most users of Mail::SPF only use the parsing parts of the Mail::SPF distribution. They don't need sbin/spfd and will never use it. It would be worth considering moving it in a separate CPAN distribution called Mail::SPF::Server. -- Olivier Mengué - http://perlresume.org/DOLMEN

Wed Aug 22 15:30:00 2018 dluke [...] geeklair.net - Correspondence added

On Tue Feb 25 07:08:20 2014, DOLMEN wrote: Show quoted text

> Most users of Mail::SPF only use the parsing parts of the Mail::SPF > distribution. > They don't need sbin/spfd and will never use it. > It would be worth considering moving it in a separate CPAN > distribution called Mail::SPF::Server.

+1 for this idea. I forget about this and have to manually mess with Mail::SPF every time I upgrade perl :(