NAME
README.freebsd - Perl version 5 on FreeBSD systems
DESCRIPTION
This document describes various features of FreeBSD that will affect
how Perl version 5 (hereafter just Perl) is compiled and/or runs.
FFrreeeeBBSSDD ccoorree dduummppss ffrroomm rreeaaddddiirrrr wwiitthh iitthhrreeaaddss
When perl is configured to use ithreads, it will use re-entrant library
calls in preference to non-re-entrant versions. There is a bug in
FreeBSD's "readdirr" function in versions 4.5 and earlier that can
cause a SEGV when reading large directories. A patch for FreeBSD libc
is available (see http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=misc/30631
) which has been integrated into FreeBSD 4.6.
$$^^XX ddooeessnn''tt aallwwaayyss ccoonnttaaiinn aa ffuullll ppaatthh iinn FFrreeeeBBSSDD
perl 5.8.0 sets $^X where possible to a full path by asking the operat-
ing system. On FreeBSD the full path of the perl interpreter is found
by reading the symlink /proc/curproc/file. There is a bug on FreeBSD,
where the result of reading this symlink is can be wrong in certain
circumstances (see http://www.freebsd.org/cgi/query-pr.cgi?pr=35703 ).
In these cases perl will fall back to the old behaviour of using C's
argv[0] value for $^X.
PPeerrll wwiillll nnoo lloonnggeerr bbee ppaarrtt ooff ""bbaassee FFrreeeeBBSSDD""
Not as bad as it sounds-what this means is that Perl will no longer be
part of the kkeerrnneell bbuuiilldd ssyysstteemm of FreeBSD. Perl will still very prob-
ably be part of the "default install", and in any case the latest ver-
sion will be in the ports system. The first FreeBSD version this
change will affect is 5.0, all 4.n versions will keep the status quo.
AUTHOR Nicholas Clark , collating wisdom supplied by Slaven
Rezic and Tim Bunce.
Please report any errors, updates, or suggestions to perlbug@perl.org.
perl v5.8.6 2004-11-05 PERLFREEBSD(1)