[Module-build-general] About the Module::Build project

[Ken W. <ke...@ma...>]

Hi, I'm Module::Build.  You may remember me from such P5P posts as

    "Thoughts From TPC: New Modules In 5.9"
    [ http://makeashorterlink.com/?O28C32182 ]

    "Builds, YAML, etc etc etc"
    [ http://makeashorterlink.com/?I59C21182 ]

    "Re: Proof-of-concept patch for 'make distsign'"
    [ http://makeashorterlink.com/?E3BC21182 ]

    "BEGIN perl-5.9"
    [ http://makeashorterlink.com/?G53D12182 ]

[Ken cans the anthropomorphization act]

The Module::Build project is still rolling along.  Development 
discussion and announcements are taking place at the 
module-build-general list (see the Cc: header), which you can subscribe 
to at

  http://lists.sourceforge.net/mailman/listinfo/module-build-general .

Some of the tasks on the TODO list include:

* Add a 'distsign' action that uses Module::Signature to provide
   cryptographic authentication to module distributions

* Figure out how to cooperate well with real packaging systems
   (chiefly RPM, Debian, and PPM).  May mean creating packages ourselves,
   may mean creating lists of stuff to let package managers chew on, may
   mean something else.

Some things recently done include:

* Better support for C and C++ source in distributions

* Much better support for pass-through Makefile.PLs (for cooperations 
with
   legacy CPAN.pm shells and so on)

* Better cooperation with weird filesystems (like case-insensitivity
   issues, 8.3 naming issues, etc.)

* Better cooperation with various versions of Test::Harness

* More sensible distinction between a "module" and a "distribution"


The purpose of this message, besides just being a state-of-the-module 
address, is to invite people to join the discussion, because I get the 
sense that there are more people with important knowledge germane to 
this project than the seven existing members of the current 
module-build-general list.  If you have interest, please feel free to 
browse the archives and/or subscribe to the list.  Your input is most 
welcome.


  -Ken