Perl version of 5.24 is inconsistent with debian perl package version (which is also installed).

[pergh]

This means that if you pull perl modules through apt-get, they will be installed for perl version 5.20, not 5.24. The perl 5.24 version which is first in the path, must have its packages installed through cpan to work.

Suggest you use either debian packaged version 5.20, or remove it and install perl 5.24 only. Having both will probably cause confusion.

[zakame]

@pergh thanks for the report! I think the Docker Hub documentation and README here can be improved towards indicating the use and priority of the perl installed from source tarball over the Debian system perl (as I think it was an implicit expectation in here and in other language images that the language runtime comes from a source install.)

Let me see about removing the Debian perl as well (though I reckon that might be trickier due to some of Debian's scripts depending on a /usr/bin/perl directly, and I'm loathe to simply symlink a new perl into /usr/bin just so.)

[zakame]

Hmm so removing perl will try to remove git as well:

#+BEGIN_SRC sh :results output
docker run --rm perl:latest /usr/bin/apt-get autoremove -s perl 
#+END_SRC

#+RESULTS:
#+begin_example
Reading package lists...
Building dependency tree...
Reading state information...
The following packages will be REMOVED:
  autoconf automake git git-man libcurl3-gnutls liberror-perl libgdbm3
  libsigsegv2 m4 perl perl-modules
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 11 to remove and 0 not upgraded.
Remv automake [1:1.14.1-4+deb8u1]
Remv autoconf [2.69-8]
Remv git [1:2.1.4-2.1+deb8u2]
Remv git-man [1:2.1.4-2.1+deb8u2]
Remv libcurl3-gnutls [7.38.0-4+deb8u4]
Remv liberror-perl [0.17-1.1]
Remv perl [5.20.2-3+deb8u6]
Remv libgdbm3 [1.8.3-13.1]
Remv m4 [1.4.17-4]
Remv libsigsegv2 [2.10-4+b1]
Remv perl-modules [5.20.2-3+deb8u6]
#+end_example

Setting aside for the moment that the git install comes from our Docker buildpack-deps image inheritance, it seems probably be more worthwhile to be explicit documenting our preferred perl install in /usr/local/bin.

[pjlsergeant]

I have a problem I think is related. I need to install postgres so that some of my Test::Postgres tests can run. Trying to do this via apt:

FROM perl:5.20

RUN apt-get update \
    && apt-get install -y postgresql \
    && rm -fr /var/lib/apt/lists/*

I'm getting:

Setting up postgresql-9.4 (9.4.9-0+deb8u1) ...
Can't locate PgCommon.pm in @INC (you may need to install the PgCommon module) (@INC contains: /usr/share/postgresql-common /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.20.3/x86_64-linux /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.20.3 /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.20.3/x86_64-linux /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.20.3 .).
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted.

At first glance, I reckon that's a related issue to:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/postgresql-common/+bug/1407744

[zakame]

@pjlsergeant thanks, and yes, you could set a PERL5LIB environment variable in your Dockerfile to add Debian's /usr/share/perl5 on perl-5.20's @INC, like so:

FROM perl:5.20
ENV PERL5LIB /usr/share/perl5
RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install postgresql

This should allow you to install postgresql:

#+BEGIN_SRC sh :results output :exports both
exec 2>&1
docker build -t perl-pg-test .
:
#+END_SRC

#+RESULTS:
#+begin_example
Sending build context to Docker daemon 18.43 kB

Step 1 : FROM perl:5.20
 ---> bbe5a82c1dbe
Step 2 : ENV PERL5LIB /usr/share/perl5
 ---> Running in caecad66f85e
 ---> 0caffbd09672
Removing intermediate container caecad66f85e
Step 3 : RUN apt-get update && apt-get -y install postgresql
 ---> Running in 9e74bd9a0915
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  postgresql-client-common postgresql-common psmisc ssl-cert
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  anacron checksecurity mail-reader eximon4 exim4-doc-html exim4-doc-info
  spf-tools-perl swaks postgresql-doc-9.4 lsb postgresql-doc oidentd
  ident-server locales-all openssl-blacklist
Recommended packages:
  mailx
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  bsd-mailx cron exim4 exim4-base exim4-config exim4-daemon-light
  init-system-helpers liblockfile-bin liblockfile1 libpopt0 locales logrotate
  lsb-release postgresql postgresql-9.4 postgresql-client-9.4
  postgresql-client-common postgresql-common psmisc ssl-cert
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libpq-dev libpq5
2 upgraded, 20 newly installed, 0 to remove and 87 not upgraded.
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�[91mdebconf: delaying package configuration, since apt-utils is not installed
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update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/bsd-mailx to provide /usr/bin/mailx (mailx) in auto mode
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debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Dialog
debconf: (TERM is not set, so the dialog frontend is not usable.)
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debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Dialog
debconf: (TERM is not set, so the dialog frontend is not usable.)
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Generating locales (this might take a while)...
Generation complete.
Setting up lsb-release (4.1+Debian13+nmu1) ...
Setting up postgresql-client-common (165+deb8u1) ...
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update-alternatives: using /usr/share/postgresql/9.4/man/man1/psql.1.gz to provide /usr/share/man/man1/psql.1.gz (psql.1.gz) in auto mode
Setting up ssl-cert (1.0.35) ...
debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Dialog
debconf: (TERM is not set, so the dialog frontend is not usable.)
debconf: falling back to frontend: Readline
Setting up postgresql-common (165+deb8u1) ...
debconf: unable to initialize frontend: Dialog
debconf: (TERM is not set, so the dialog frontend is not usable.)
debconf: falling back to frontend: Readline
Adding user postgres to group ssl-cert

Creating config file /etc/postgresql-common/createcluster.conf with new version

Creating config file /etc/logrotate.d/postgresql-common with new version
Building PostgreSQL dictionaries from installed myspell/hunspell packages...
Removing obsolete dictionary files:
invoke-rc.d: policy-rc.d denied execution of start.
Setting up postgresql-9.4 (9.4.9-0+deb8u1) ...
Creating new cluster 9.4/main ...
  config /etc/postgresql/9.4/main
  data   /var/lib/postgresql/9.4/main
  locale C
  port   5432
update-alternatives: using /usr/share/postgresql/9.4/man/man1/postmaster.1.gz to provide /usr/share/man/man1/postmaster.1.gz (postmaster.1.gz) in auto mode
invoke-rc.d: policy-rc.d denied execution of start.
Setting up postgresql (9.4+165+deb8u1) ...
Setting up psmisc (22.21-2) ...
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 ---> ec3ccaec4bf5
Removing intermediate container 9e74bd9a0915
Successfully built ec3ccaec4bf5
#+end_example

[parserpro]

Hi!
I also have a similar problem. My Dockerfile:

FROM perl:5.24

ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

RUN apt-get -qq update
RUN apt-get install apt-utils -y
RUN apt-get install dialog -y
RUN apt-get install whiptail -y
RUN apt-get install libgd2-xpm-dev -y
RUN apt-get install libdbd-mysql-perl -y
RUN apt-get install zip -y
RUN apt-get install unzip -y
RUN apt-get install mc -y
RUN apt-get install libmysqlclient18 -y
RUN apt-get install libmysqlclient-dev -y
RUN rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

RUN curl -L http://cpanmin.us | perl - App::cpanminus

RUN ln -s /usr/include/x86_64-linux-gnu/ImageMagick-6/ /usr/local/include/ImageMagick-6
&& ln -s /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.24.0/x86_64-linux/CORE/libperl.so /usr/local/lib/libperl.so
&& cpanm --notest Image::Magick

RUN cpanm Mojolicious@7.05
RUN cpanm Test::UNIXSock
RUN cpanm Term::ProgressBar
RUN cpanm common::sense
...

All Perl modules are installed into system perl 5.20.2, not into 5.24.
Really don't know what to do?

[zakame]

Hi all, sorry for the late reply to this issue; I'm looking at what options to resolve this.

On one hand, @pergh has a point that there is a system perl in /usr/bin that is introduced by our use of buildpack-deps as a base image, so one option may be to build out our own base image that uses the upstream Perl exclusively.

On the other hand, switching base images might be too expensive (e.g. it would introduce new layers into the image history, I think,) so maybe another option (and perhaps simpler) is to document how to install CPAN modules clearly (and what to do wrt dependencies on system-installed packages such as dev headers to database modules.)

I'm leaning toward the latter option for now and will try to push another doc update.

[KES777]

@parserpro
To change directory where perl modules are install you should play with next environment variables:

PERL_MB_OPT=--install_base "/home/feelsafe/perl5"
PERL_MM_OPT=INSTALL_BASE=/home/feelsafe/perl5
PERL_LOCAL_LIB_ROOT=/home/feelsafe/perl5
PERL5LIB=/home/feelsafe/perl5/lib/perl5

Or use perlbrew

[AnthonyMastrean]

We're using perl:5-slim and trying to get the SNMP module via the Debian package libsnmp-perl. We understand this to be the "correct" way to install this module. However, it's installing into the Perl 5.24 that comes with Debian.

root@b44dc55652c8:/app# find / -name SNMP.pm
/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/perl5/5.24/SNMP.pm

Am I correct that this is an example of the problem described in this ticket?

---

In the meantime, we can't quite find the right combination of ENV vars to fix the installation into the Perl 5.28 that's installed by this base image.

ENV PERL5LIB /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.28.0

---

Maybe our problem is the way this specific package manages deps? If so, I'll take my comment out of this thread 😄

root@b44dc55652c8:~# dpkg -I /var/cache/apt/archives/libsnmp-perl_5.7.3+dfsg-1.7_amd64.deb
...
Depends: perl (>= 5.24.1-1), perlapi-5.24.1, libc6 (>= 2.15), libsnmp30 (>= 5.7.3+dfsg-1.7~dfsg)

---

We’re having better luck using the debian:stretch-slim image directly. System package installed Perl plus other system packages... we’re OK with Perl 5.24 in this case.

[KES777]

@AnthonyMastrean :
You can not set only some of them and must setup all:

PERL_MB_OPT=--install_base "/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.28.0"
PERL_MM_OPT=INSTALL_BASE=/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.28.0

because different modules uses as installer makemaker or makebuild we are required to manage both env variables.

These two variables

PERL_LOCAL_LIB_ROOT=/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.28.0
PERL5LIB=/usr/local/lib/perl5/5.28.0

are just used to instruct perl where to look to find required modules. So if you even setup PERL_M* correct but do not configure *LIB* variables. Your perl just do not notice installed modules.

Thus use those four variables or perlbrew

To my mind usage of perlbrew is super easy. Also it is light weight.

[zakame]

Hi @AnthonyMastrean!

I think that if you wish to install Net-SNMP into Perl v5.28 in perl:5-slim, it might be preferable to install it from source, instead of from the Debian package, as the Debian package is already prebuilt to install on Debian Perl 5.24 paths.

[zakame]

So to recap, this issue can be resolved by

• ensuring use /usr/local/bin/perl provided by our Perl images here
• installing Perl modules from CPAN or other sources, rather than via Debian packages
• using EUMM/MB variables to install modules on different paths if necessary

I'll close this issue as it is old now; feel free to open a new issue and reference this if needed later. Thanks!