CPAN/ports/README

	You are probably looking for a binary distribution of Perl.
	If so, go directly to

		http://www.perl.com/CPAN/ports/index.html

	The rest of this file tells is more detail about the
	contents of this directory (http://www.perl.com/CPAN/ports/)
	but in principle, the above URL should be all you need.

CONTENTS

	This directory contains ports (or pointers to such) of Perl

	(1) to platforms that the Perl standard source code distribution (S)
	    does not (yet) support, such as Tandem Guardian.

	(2) to platforms where a C compiler is an exception, not the rule,
	    like for example the Windows platforms and OS/2.

	(3) some of the directories here are empty and just contain pointers
	    back to (S).  These are Perl source code archaeology in action:
	    once upon a time these platforms were not supported in the (S),
	    but they are now.  Examples include Amiga, BeOS, and MPE/iX.

	(S) Either

		http://www.perl.com/CPAN/src/stable.tar.gz

	   or

		http://www.perl.com/CPAN/src/stable.zip

	Grab that, unpack it, start off by reading the README.

BUILDING PERL FROM SOURCE

	To build from the (S) you will need a full C compiler and
	some sort of compilation environment ('make' or some similar
	build tool).  If you have a UNIX-like shell environment
	(Bourne shell and the usual UNIX utilities like 'tr', 'sed',
	and so on), so much the better.

	Because Perl's roots are in the UNIX world in general any
	UNIX platform should be supported in the (S).  If this isn't
	the case, please send email to perlbug@perl.com and tell in
	excruciating detail what is your UNIX platform.  For example
	the output of "uname -a" or similar would be handy.

	Beware: some platforms which the vendors call UNIX do not
	have a full C compiler -- or if they have a 'bundled' one,
	it's severely crippled, supplied mainly for compiling the
	kernel/device drivers.

	Perl requires more than that.

	Such crippled platforms include HP-UX and Solaris.  Either
	you will have to pay for the full C compiler or find
	yourself the GNU C compiler (gcc) as a binary distribution.
	If you don't know where to start, locate the FAQ for your
	platform.  If you don't know what that is or where to get
	that, use the search engines.  If you don't know what those
	are, consult your local information systems support.  If
	they don't know what all the above means, fire them.

-- 
cpan@perl.org