Embperl - building dynamic websites with Perl

• UNIX
• Prerequisite
• Installing from source
• Options for make test
• XML and XSLT support
• Debian packages
• UNIX (without Apache Source)
• Win32 (non ActiveState Perl)
• Win32 with ActiveState Perl and Apache 1.3.x
• Compile Embperl from the sources on Win32 with ActiveState Perl
• Win32: Install Apache and non Apache version on the same system
• Win32: Apache 2.0
• How to continue
• Further Documentation

To install on unix perform the following steps:

Here are a lit of packages you should install for getting Embperl to work. mod_perl, Apache::Session, Apache::SessionX, libxml2, libxlst are optional and need only to be install when you require their functionality.

debian comes with the package `libembperl-perl/stable 2.5.0-17 amd64`. So just run

  sudo apt install libembperl-perl

and you are done. If you want to install a newer version from the source, continue to read. Install prerequistite

  sudo apt update 
  sudo apt -y install libextutils-xsbuilder-perl libapache2-mod-perl2-dev apache2-dev \
    libcgi-pm-perl libapache-sessionx-perl libextutils-pkgconfig-perl libxml2-dev libxslt1-dev

Not all module are available as precomipled packages, so you have to install some from cpan:

  yum -y install mod_perl-devel perl-Apache-Session perl-ExtUtils-PkgConfig || exit 1
  cpan LWP::UserAgent 
  cpan ExtUtils::XSBuilder
  cpan -f Apache::SessionX

  yum -y install epel-release # required for mod_perl
  dnf --enablerepo=epel -y install mod_perl-devel perl-Apache-Session perl-ExtUtils-PkgConfig
  cpan LWP::UserAgent
  cpan ExtUtils::XSBuilder
  cpan -f Apache::SessionX

  yum -y install mod_perl-devel perl-Apache-Session perl-ExtUtils-PkgConfig || exit 1
  cpan LWP::UserAgent 
  cpan ExtUtils::XSBuilder
  cpan -f Apache::SessionX

You can download Embperl from CPAN or from https://www.embperl.org/downloads

Beta Versions and release candidates are only available from https://www.embperl.org/downloads

	Unpack the archive
	perl Makefile.PL
	You will be asked if you want to compile in support for Apache mod_perl. If you say yes, the source of Apache is searched (for headerfiles). If it can't found, please specify the basepath. Please make sure mod_perl is already installed. If you have installed mod_perl-0.96 or higher, Makefile.PL automatically suggests the same source path as was used to build mod_perl.
	make
	make test
	make install

NOTE 1: For using session handling you need Apache::Session 1.53 and Apache::SessionX 2.00b3 or higher.

NOTE 2: Embperl runs without additional Perl modules, but the make test needs the following modules to work:

	URI
	MIME::Base64
	HTML::Parser
	HTML::HeadParser
	Digest::MD5
	libnet
	libwww
	libwin32 (only Win32)

NOTE 3: EmbperlObject needs the following modules to work:

File::Spec 0.8 or higher

If you have already successfully build and tested mod_perl all modules will already be there.

make test can take several options, which can be given with the TESTARGS parameter:

  make test TESTARGS="--help"

will show you a list of available option. Most of them you will never need, they are mainly nesseccary for debugging Embperl itself.

Starting with Embperl 2.0b4 it has a build in XSLT support. You can use Gnome libxml and libxslt. Embperl is currently tested with libxslt 1.0.4 and newer.

To use libxml/libxslt, download them from https://xmlsoft.org/ and install them on your system. Makefile.PL will automatically detect the installed libraries and linked them into Embperl. (you have to make sure that xml2-config and xslt-config can be found and run by Makefile.PL)

The Debian packages "libhtml-embperl-perl" and "libembperl-perl" are are available from the usual Debian mirrors.

To compile Embperl you need to install apache2-dev and libapache2-mod-perl2-dev.

If you have an UNIX with preinstalled Apache and mod_perl (e.g. a Linux distribution), you need to locate the following files on your disk, in case Makefile.PL does not find them automatically:

	httpd.h
	httpd
	mod_env.so

For example they could be found at

	/usr/include/apache/httpd.h
	/usr/sbin/httpd
	/usr/lib/apache/mod_env.so

In most cases it is sufficent to have to apache-dev and mod_perl-dev packages from your favourite Linux distribution installed.

Now go to the Embperl directory and start

	perl Makefile.PL
	When get asked for the Apache sources, enter the directory where you found httpd.h (e.g. /usr/include/apache). For the Apache executable enter the path to httpd. If the Apache modules are loaded dynamicly, the you will get ask for mod_env.so, enter it's directory. Now you can continue as normal with
	make test
	make install

NOTE: You need mod_perl >= 1.12 on win32

On Windows 95/NT you have to do the following:

	perl Makefile.PL
	nmake
	(you must have the c compiler in your path) if you get an error about compiling Embperl.c. Edit Embperl.c and change -#line "Embperl.xs" to +#line 1 "Embperl.xs" now re-run nmake and it should compile.
	nmake test
	NOTE: nmake test needs libwin32, libwww and HTML::Parser installed to work
	nmake install

NOTE 1: For using session handling you need Apache::Session 1.53 and Apache::SessionX 2.00b3 or higher.

NOTE 2: Embperl runs without additional Perl modules, but the make test needs the following modules to work:

	URI
	MIME::Base64
	HTML::Parser
	HTML::HeadParser
	Digest::MD5
	libnet
	libwww
	libwin32 (only Win32)

NOTE 3: EmbperlObject needs the following modules to work:

File::Spec 0.8 or higher

If you have already successfully build and tested mod_perl all modules will already be there.

First get and install ActiveState Perl from https://www.activestate.com/

You can skip the installation of Apache and mod_perl, if you only want to use Embperl offline or as CGI.

Next get the Apache binary (including the source e.g. apache_1.3.31-win32-x86-src.msi) from https://www.apache.org/dist/httpd/binaries/win32/ or a mirror. (You may need to install the windows MSI installer from the same page too, and be sure to read the README at the end of the file list for further requirements of some windows versions, especially Windows 95 and XP). Now run the installation.

Then install mod_perl. How to do this is described very detailed at https://perl.apache.org/docs/1.0/os/win32/install.html#PPM_Packages

In this file, you'll find a short summary of that page.

There are two ways to install mod_perl:

+ Easy version:

  Download the perl script
  https://perl.apache.org/docs/1.0/os/win32/mpinstall and execute it
  with "perl mpinstall". It will interactively install you the right
  mod_perl version.

+ Manual installation:

  Run the ppm program to install mod_perl

  - If you have Perl 5.8.x:

    ppm install https://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/mod_perl-1.ppd

  - If you have Perl 5.6.x:

    ppm install https://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppmpackages/mod_perl.ppd

  If you get asked for the Apache directory, enter the C<modules>
  subdirectory under the path where you have installed your Apache,
  e.g.

    \Program Files\Apache Group\Apache\modules

As last step you can install the Embperl ppd:

+ If you have Perl 5.8.x:

    ppm install https://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppms/Embperl-1.ppd

  This is an Embperl 2 ppd, the "-1" at the end of the package name
  denotes that this ppd is for mod_perl 1.x. There is no Embperl 1 ppd
  for Perl 5.8.x (yet).

+ If you have Perl 5.6.x:

  - Embperl 1:

    ppm install https://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppmpackages/HTML-Embperl.ppd

  - Embperl 2:

    ppm install https://theoryx5.uwinnipeg.ca/ppmpackages/Embperl.ppd

First install ActiveState Perl, Apache and mod_perl as described above. Make sure you have an Apache version which includes the sources. (Of course when you want to use Embperl only offline or as CGI you don't have to install Apache and mod_perl)

Then extract the Embperl distribution and go to the directory where you have extracted Embperl. Start

  perl Makefile.PL

Enter y or hit enter when you get ask "Build with support for Apache mod_perl?(y/n) [y]" When get asked for the Apache source enter the Apache directory you have installed above. e.g. \Program Files\Apache Group.

Now you can continue by running

  nmake test
  nmake install  

Unlike Unix, Windows loads any needed DLL (dynamic libraries) at startup. This causes trouble when Embperl is compiled for use with Apache and mod_perl, but is used outside of Apache, because Windows tries to load ApacheCore.dll. To solve this problem Embperl 1.3.4+ can install a Apache and a non Apache version. To do this first install the Apache version as decribed above (includeing the nmake install) . Afterwards rerun Makefile.PL, when ask for mod_perl support answer no, now Makefile.PL detects that a mod_perl version was already compiled and asks if you what a separte non Apache version. Just say yes here and compile and install this version too. When Embperl is loaded it detects if runs in- or outside of Apache and loads the correct library.

Embperl currently does not support Apache 2.0 on Windows (on UNIX is does). This is due to the fact the Embperl is not fully thread safe yet. Makeing Embperl thread safe and support for Apache 2.0 on Windows, is currently under development.

IMPORTANT: Before using Embperl 2.0, make sure you have read the README.v2. The documentation is only partially updated to 2.0 yet!!

You can view the documentation at any time from the Embperl source directory, by using the following commands metioned below. After the installation you can also view documention by specifying the full module name: e.g.

perldoc Embperl, perldoc Embperl::Intro etc.

To get familiar how Embperl works, read the Intro and IntroEmbperlObject documents. To learn how to use and configure Embperl, read the Embperl documentation.

See perldoc Features for list of Embperls features

See perldoc Intro for an step by step introduction to Embperl.

See perldoc IntroEmbperlObject for an step by step introduction to the OO features of Embperl.

See perldoc IntroEmbperl2.pod for Introduction to Embperl 2 advanced features.

See perldoc Config for configuration and calling Embperl.

See perldoc Embperl for complete documentation.

See perldoc TipsAndTricks for Tips and Tricks around Embperl.

or you can view it online on https://perl.apache.org/embperl/ and https://www.actevy.io/embperl/