FAQ 2.3 I don"t have a C compiler. How can I build my own Perl interpreter?

This is an excerpt from the latest version perlfaq2.pod, which
comes with the standard Perl distribution. These postings aim to
reduce the number of repeated questions as well as allow the community
to review and update the answers. The latest version of the complete
perlfaq is at http://faq.perl.org .

------------------------------------------------------------ --------

2.3: I don't have a C compiler. How can I build my own Perl interpreter?

Since you don't have a C compiler, you're doomed and your vendor should
be sacrificed to the Sun gods. But that doesn't help you.

What you need to do is get a binary version of gcc for your system
first. Consult the Usenet FAQs for your operating system for information
on where to get such a binary version.

You might look around the net for a pre-built binary of Perl (or a C
compiler!) that meets your needs, though:

For Windows, Vanilla Perl ( http://vanillaperl.com/ ) and Strawberry
Perl ( http://strawberryperl.com/ ) come with a bundled C compiler.
ActivePerl is a pre-compiled version of Perl ready-to-use.

For Sun systems, SunFreeware.com provides binaries of most popular
applications, including compilers and Perl.



------------------------------------------------------------ --------

The perlfaq-workers, a group of volunteers, maintain the perlfaq. They
are not necessarily experts in every domain where Perl might show up,
so please include as much information as possible and relevant in any
corrections. The perlfaq-workers also don't have access to every
operating system or platform, so please include relevant details for
corrections to examples that do not work on particular platforms.
Working code is greatly appreciated.

If you'd like to help maintain the perlfaq, see the details in
perlfaq.pod.