Anthony Alvarez wrote:

] I need to re-configure ActivePerl on NT by 
] installing the DB_File package as follows:
]   C:\Perl>  ppm install DB_File 
]
] Response form the Operating system is .....
]
]   Retrieving package 'DB_File'... HTTP POST 
]   failed: 500 (Can't connect to 
]   www.activestate.com:80 (Bad hostname 
]   'ww w.activestate.com')), in SOAP method 
]   call. Content of response: at 
]   C:/Perl/site/lib/PPM/SOAPClient.pm line 222 
]
] I am using a Windows 2000 workstation that is 
] behind the firewire and is not configured with 
] a DNS.  How can DB_File be installed in this 
] case?? Please help.  I look forward to hearing 
] from you. Thank you.

I'm not so sure how firewire would affect your
network, (probably not a good thing, but then somebody
might have come up with a way to network across
firewire :-) but a firewall could very well keep you
from hitting the SOAP server.

There is still a way to install packages using
locally stored package files (.ppd)

You can download packages via the web at:

   http://www.activestate.com/PPMPackages/5.6/

and save the package to your hard drive. (In this 
example, I'll use c:\tempstuff as the destination 
directory)  From there use ppm with the --location 
option.  For example, run:

   c:\>   ppm install --location=c:\tempstuff DB_File
         
from the dos prompt.  you should get messages 
reporting installing... followed by a 
writing...packlist message.  Your package should 
be installed at that point and ready to be used.

If it has problems installing the package, it is
generally good about saying so.  If it doesn't
say anything and returns to the prompt, it did not
run properly.  PPM is not a program where no news
is good news.

You can double check by running the ppm command:

   ppm query db

Which will tell you the name, version, and a one-line
description of the packages installed that have the
letters "db" in the name.

-- Matt Grimaldi