Software Install Best Practice?

[Carl Reynolds]

Danny Howard wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I am new to Linux.  I come from FreeBSD, and I am used to the idea that
>if I need to add a package, I can do so through the ports tree.
>
>On Fedora, I have come to a similar accomodation.  I added LIVNA to my
>yum repositories like so:
>
>rpm -ivh
>http://rpm.livna.org/fedora/4/i386/RPMS.lvn/livna-release-4-0.lvn.5.4.noarch.rpm
>
>Now I can "yum install" most anything on Fedora. :)
>
>And I have an RHEL box, needs a bunch of Perl modules.  I have consulted
>TFM at
>http://www.redhat.com/docs/manuals/enterprise/RHEL-4-Manual/sysadmin-guide/s1-rpm-using.html
>and they say I should use RPM, and first I have to find the .rpm files,
>and I should look:
>
>    http://www.redhat.com/download/mirror.html
>
>Well, that's a list of Fedora mirrors ... uhmmm ...
>
>    * Red Hat Network — Refer to Chapter 17 Red Hat Network for more
>details on Red Hat Network 
>
>Chapter 17 makes RHN look like some GUI admin tool for keeping the Base
>OS up to date.  I want to find a trusted repository of Perl modules,
>etc.  Pointers on where I should go and what I should read?
>
>Thanks,
>-danny
>
>  
>
To add Perl modules to your machine run CPAN.

It will take you through a setup procedure in which you pick one or more 
repositories from a list. You can then download and install the modules 
using CPAN.

Just type
# cpan

to start the process.


By the way, just out of curiosity, why are you using rpm to maintain 
your system rather than up2date, yum, or smart?



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