Welcome to the binary distribution of Perl for the Win32 platform. This distribution has been compiled using the Borland C++ compiler (version 5.02). It is built around the latest production release of Perl, version 5.004_01. To install this package: * Extract the archive so that the directory structure of the files is preserved. * `cd' to the top level directory. * Type `install d:\my\own\perl', where d:\my\own\perl can be any path under which you want Perl installed. If that refuses to run for some reason (as it might on Windows95), you can instead say `perl\bin\perl install.bat d:\my\own\perl'. * Add d:\my\own\perl\bin to your `PATH'. * You may have to edit the contents of %NetConfig in `d:\my\own\perl\lib\site\Net\Config.pm' to set the names of the servers used by the libnet package. This binary distribution has only been tested on Windows NT, but is believed to also work on Windows 95. It includes the following packages: perl5.004_01 [*] Alias-2.3 Bit-Vector-4.0 Curses-1.01 [*] Data-Dumper-2.07 DateCalc-3.2 DateManip-5.10 Devel-Peek-0.82 Devel-Symdump-2.00 DProf-19970614 [*] GD-1.14 [*] libnet-1.0505 [*] libwin32-0.07 libwww-perl-5.10 MD5-1.7 MIME-Base64-2.01 Storable-0.5 [*] String-Approx-2.1 Tk402.000 [*] Packages marked with [*] needed fixes to compile or run properly. All applied patches can be found in the `patches' subdirectory. In most cases, the patches are trivial. The full sources of the above packages can be found on the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network (CPAN). Point your web browser at "http://www.perl.com/CPAN" to find the CPAN site nearest you. The patch to the perl core source enables three small, but important, fixes: * getservby*() calls made to work properly even though the Microsoft DLLs are broken. * site library intuition from perl.dll locations. * fixed getenv(), so that -d:DProf works. The modules in the distribution doubtless reflect my own personal pattern of use. In some cases, I made a conscious decision not to include modules that don't contain C or XS source, since it should be possible to obtain and install such modules from CPAN without too much trouble (or a C compiler). I shall add specific modules to the distribution if there is demand. Perl can be distributed under the `Artistic License' or the `GNU General Public Licence', described in the two files `Artistic' and `Copying' respectively. Most of the modules have statements to the effect that they can be distributed under the same terms as Perl, but you should download and check the individual module's sources to be sure. This binary distribution itself can be distributed under the same terms as Perl. Beware that it is provided "as is", and comes with absolutely no warranty of any kind, either express or implied. If you use the contents of this distribution, you do so at your own risk, and you agree to free the author(s) of any consequences arising from such use, either intended, or otherwise. If you put this on a CDROM, please send me or the perl-porters a brief message. Altered versions must be clearly marked as such. Enjoy! Gurusamy Sarathy gsar@umich.edu 23-JUNE-1997