I hate Net::SSH::Perl

Not because it is bad but because it is so damn hard hard to install it.

I received a script that does something via ssh. It is using Net::SSH::Perl so I need to install it now. I am running this on CentOS and using yum I could not find a pre-built package for this module so I fired up CPAN.pm and typed

  cpan> install Net::SSH::Perl

First it asks which version I'd like to use:

    [1] SSH1
    [2] SSH2
    [3] Both SSH1 and SSH2

I have not idea so in order to be on the safe side I'll answer 3. Then it asks about ciphers:

    [1] IDEA
    [2] DES
    [3] DES3
    [4] Blowfish
    [5] RC4

I have even less idea here so I just press ENTER.

Then it further asks me if I want to install mandatory and optional prereq. I guess I need the mandatory ones but I have no clue about the optional ones.

Then it gets to the point when it wants to install Math::Pari. I already have lot's of bad experiences with it so at that point I totally freak out and press Ctrl-C.

Luckily there is a Math::Pari package for CentOS so I can install that and then go back to the CPAN.om installation.

Now one of the prereqs gets stuck in its test suit.

Ctrl-C again.

Using yum search I can locate that prereq and install it.

Back to CPAN.pm

I hate it!

I have to admit I am not clever enough to answer all these question and I don't have the patience to learn all I have to learn to understand the questions. I just want to use that script!

So dear downstream packagers, I am really going to beg now. Please, oh please make this simpler! Can you please package Net::SSH::Perl and all its optional prereq for your Linux or BSD and Windows distribution? It would make my (and probably others) life so much simpler.

If you want I'll even write a SSH plugin for Padre....