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PERLTRU64(1)


NAME

  README.tru64 - Perl version 5 on Tru64 (formerly known as Digital UNIX
  formerly known as DEC OSF/1) systems


DESCRIPTION

  This document describes various features of HP's (formerly Compaq's,
  formerly Digital's) Unix operating system (Tru64) that will affect how Perl
  version 5 (hereafter just Perl) is configured, compiled and/or runs.

  Compiling Perl 5 on Tru64

  The recommended compiler to use in Tru64 is the native C compiler.  The
  native compiler produces much faster code (the speed difference is
  noticeable: several dozen percentages) and also more correct code: if you
  are considering using the GNU C compiler you should use at the very least
  the release of 2.95.3 since all older gcc releases are known to produce
  broken code when compiling Perl.  One manifestation of this brokenness is
  the lib/sdbm test dumping core; another is many of the op/regexp and
  op/pat, or ext/Storable tests dumping core (the exact pattern of failures
  depending on the GCC release and optimization flags).

  Using Large Files with Perl on Tru64

  In Tru64 Perl is automatically able to use large files, that is, files
  larger than 2 gigabytes, there is no need to use the Configure
  -Duselargefiles option as described in INSTALL (though using the option is
  harmless).

  Threaded Perl on Tru64

  If you want to use threads, you should primarily use the new Perl 5.8.0
  threads model by running Configure with -Duseithreads.

  The old Perl 5.005 threads is obsolete, unmaintained, and its use is
  discouraged.	If you really want it, run Configure with the -Dusethreads
  -Duse5005threads options as described in INSTALL.

  Either thread model is going to work only in Tru64 4.0 and newer releases,
  older operating releases like 3.2 aren't probably going to work properly
  with threads.

  Long Doubles on Tru64

  You cannot Configure Perl to use long doubles unless you have at least
  Tru64 V5.0, the long double support simply wasn't functional enough before
  that.	 Perl's Configure will override attempts to use the long doubles (you
  can notice this by Configure finding out that the modfl() function does not
  work as it should).

  At the time of this writing (June 2002), there is a known bug in the Tru64
  libc printing of long doubles when not using "e" notation.  The values are
  correct and usable, but you only get a limited number of digits displayed
  unless you force the issue by using "printf "%.33e",$num" or the like.  For
  Tru64 versions V5.0A through V5.1A, a patch is expected sometime after perl
  5.8.0 is released.  If your libc has not yet been patched, you'll get a
  warning from Configure when selecting long doubles.

  64-bit Perl on Tru64

  In Tru64 Perl's integers are automatically 64-bit wide, there is no need to
  use the Configure -Duse64bitint option as described in INSTALL.  Similarly,
  there is no need for -Duse64bitall since pointers are automatically 64-bit
  wide.

  Warnings about floating-point overflow when compiling Perl on Tru64

  When compiling Perl in Tru64 you may (depending on the compiler release)
  see two warnings like this

      cc: Warning: numeric.c, line 104: In this statement, floating-point overflow occurs in evaluating the expression "1.8e308". (floatoverfl)
	  return HUGE_VAL;
      -----------^

  and when compiling the POSIX extension

      cc: Warning: const-c.inc, line 2007: In this statement, floating-point overflow occurs in evaluating the expression "1.8e308". (floatoverfl)
		  return HUGE_VAL;
      -------------------^

  The exact line numbers may vary between Perl releases.  The warnings are
  benign and can be ignored: in later C compiler releases the warnings should
  be gone.

  When the file pp_sys.c is being compiled you may (depending on the
  operating system release) see an additional compiler flag being used:
  "-DNO_EFF_ONLY_OK".  This is normal and refers to a feature that is
  relevant only if you use the "filetest" pragma.  In older releases of the
  operating system the feature was broken and the NO_EFF_ONLY_OK instructs
  Perl not to use the feature.


Testing Perl on Tru64

  During "make test" the "comp/cpp" will be skipped because on Tru64 it
  cannot be tested before Perl has been installed.  The test refers to the
  use of the "-P" option of Perl.


ext/ODBM_File/odbm Test Failing With Static Builds

  The ext/ODBM_File/odbm is known to fail with static builds (Configure
  -Uusedl) due to a known bug in Tru64's static libdbm library.	 The good
  news is that you very probably don't need to ever use the ODBM_File
  extension since more advanced NDBM_File works fine, not to mention the even
  more advanced DB_File.


Perl Fails Because Of Unresolved Symbol sockatmark

  If you get an error like

      Can't load '.../OSF1/lib/perl5/5.8.0/alpha-dec_osf/auto/IO/IO.so' for module IO: Unresolved symbol in .../lib/perl5/5.8.0/alpha-dec_osf/auto/IO/IO.so: sockatmark at .../lib/perl5/5.8.0/alpha-dec_osf/XSLoader.pm line 75.

  you need to either recompile your Perl in Tru64 4.0D or upgrade your Tru64
  4.0D to at least 4.0F: the sockatmark() system call was added in Tru64
  4.0F, and the IO extension refers that symbol.


AUTHOR

  Jarkko Hietaniemi <jhi@iki.fi>

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