*n*x

Installing DBD::mysql on Solaris 10 seems to be less trivial than “cpan DBD::mysql” when you want to use the system-supplied perl (5.8.4) and mysql (4.0.31) installation. Google shows a lot of people asking how to proceed, but surprisingly no answers. Typically, one gets this error at make time:

[...]
"dbdimp.c", line 4468: improper member use: com
"dbdimp.c", line 4468: improper member use: com
"dbdimp.c", line 4468: improper member use: com
"dbdimp.c", line 4630: undefined struct/union member: pmysql
"dbdimp.c", line 4653: undefined struct/union member: pmysql
cc: acomp failed for dbdimp.c
make: *** [dbdimp.o] Error 1

To install the module do this:

1. Install the following Solaris mysql packages (if not already installed): SUNWmysqlr, SUNWmysqlu, SUNWmysqlS, SUNWmysqlt.
2. Type the following as root:
   cd /usr/sfw/share/src/mysql
./configure
3. Download the tar ball of the modules or, easier, go to your cpan build directory (set at cpan configure time), typically at ~/.cpan/build/DBD-mysql-<VERSION> (already there if you previously tried to install the module with cpan).
4. Run the makefile with the following arguments (adapt to your own needs if necessary):
   cd ~/.cpan/build/DBD-mysql-<VERSION>
perl Makefile.PL --libs '-R/usr/sfw/lib -R/usr/sfw/lib/mysql -L/usr/sfw/lib -L/usr/sfw/lib/mysql -lmysqlclient -lz -lposix4 -lcrypt -lgen -lsocket -lnsl -lm' --cflags '-I/usr/sfw/include -I/usr/include -I/usr/sfw/share/src/mysql/include'Installing /usr/perl5/site_perl/5.8.4/sun4-solaris-64int/auto/DBD/mysql/mysql
5. Complete the normal installation (make, make test (if you have a test db running), make install).

That’s it.