Perl version in -STABLE

[Dag-Erling Smorgrav]

[bcc: to re@]

Considering the amount of changes between 4.x and 5.x, and the
performance issues of the latter, I think I can safely predict that
RELENG_4 will be around for a long time after the RELENG_5 branch.
While I understand that some will resist making RELENG_4 any more
useful than it currently is (to encourage users to move to 5.x), I
think there is one issue that should be addressed: the in-tree version
of Perl.  -STABLE currently has 5.005_03, which is four years old and
noticeably incompatible with newer versions in at least some respects;
the most common stumbling block in my experience being the new, safer
syntax for open(), which 5.005_03 does not support.

"Install Perl from ports" is not a good answer unless we decide here
and now to remove Perl completely from -STABLE.  Otherwise, we are
practically guaranteed that a certain percentage of RELENG_4 users
(more and more as time goes on and 5.005_03 becomes even more
antiquated) will consistently forget to build world with NOPERL.

I would therefore like to suggest that the version of Perl in the
-STABLE tree be upgraded to 5.6.1, which is old enough to be known-
good (and not deviate too much from 5.005_03) and yet new enough to
incoroporate some of the more useful improvements to have appeared
since 1999.  If memory serves, it also takes significantly less time
to build than 5.8.0.

DES
-- 
Dag-Erling Smorgrav - des at ofug.org