Re: [BackupPC-users] BackupPC-4.4.1rc1 Build Error

[G.W. H. <ba...@ju...>]

Hi there,

On Sat, 27 Dec 2025, Robert Howard wrote:
> On 12/26/25 8:01 AM, jbk wrote:
>> On 12/21/25 9:22 AM, G.W. Haywood wrote:
>>> On Sun, 21 Dec 2025, jbk wrote:
>>>
>>>> With BackkupPC-XS-0.63rc1 installed building BackupPC-4.4.1rc1
>>>> stalls at this point in the build process:
>>>> ...
>>> ...
>>> I believe you're trying to create a Red Hat RPM.? ...
>>> ...
>> Correct, I am trying to build within the distro packaging system.
>> I did get further on the BackupPC-4.4.1rc1 build but I am now choking 
>> on a new dependency "perl-SCGI" that does not exist in the RH and 
>> derivatives src.rpm system.
>> ...

Yes, unfortunately the various distro flavours tend to have their own
particular templates for naming their packages.  Usually the names are
based (with varying degrees of looseness) on the names of the upstream
packages but there are sometimes curious naming quirks caused e.g. by
conflicts with other package names, so it isn't always easy to guess a
package name even if you know what's supposed to be in it.

Just FYI the SCGI module is one of a couple of ways of speeding up the
response of a Web server.  BackupPC will run without it (and will also
without the Web server).  I routinely run backupPC without running the
Web server or the SCGI interface layer.  But having said that you will
almost certainly want to use the BackupPC Web interface, so I'm not in
any way suggesting that as a workaround.

There are several ways to set up the (S)CGI interface.  See "Step 9:"
in the documentation at

https://backuppc.github.io/backuppc/BackupPC.html

which explains that BackupPC can be used via plain CGI instead of SCGI.

Be aware that with SCGI there may be security issues to consider.  See
"SCGI Setup" in the documentation, the comments in config.pl, and also
perhaps the first few lines of .../BackupPC/bin/BackupPC_Admin_SCGI.

>> I do appreciate your efforts to advance the code.

:)

>> I am curious as to why perl-SCGI is being introduced into the code 
>> base now ...
>>
> If you look at the GIT history you will see that perl-SGCI has been in 
> the code since at least May 16, 2016 so it is not new. ..
> ...

That's right, the SCGI option was introduced with BackupPC version 4.
It's just a performance enhancement, not absolutely necessary.  Using
Apache without one of SCGI or mod_perl will cause a performance hit,
but only for the Web interface.  BackupPC's performance for backups
will not be affected.  I haven't compared the performance of the user
interface with and without SCGI and/or mod_perl, so I can't say if
it's worth the extra trouble or not.  I don't use the Web interface
very much.

> Before building you could install the SCGI module from CPAN ...

The OP specifically mentioned wanting to build an RPM, so although it
may be an option it probably won't be what he wants to do.  One way to
get an RPM built quickly might be to exclude SCGI.  Perhaps Red Hat
prefers a Python alternative to the Perl SCGI module?  I don't know of
anyone using it with BackupPC but someone who has it running might be
reading this.


-- 

73,
Ged.