[ic] Perl, debian packages, and the usual issues.

[Cameron G]

Ok, I'm currently plugging the deb packages of IC in to a new server to
fiddle with for a while, and I have a question: if we're supposed to specify
a separate perl for IC alone (it's built and compiled, I just haven't worked
out how to make IC use it yet), why don't we have the option in the deb
package to simply specify which perl to use? Wouldn't that mean we could
cleanly dist-upgrade and not have to worry about rewriting whatever manual
changes it is we're going to need to make each and every time a new patch
for the package comes out? This seems to be the sensible idea to me,
although it's coming from the perspective of someone who has exactly 0 idea
of how much work this sort of thing would actually require. 

Alternatively, shouldn't we have a single config option to change? As best
as I can tell, making IC work correctly is going to require me (a) compiling
from source using a different perl, meaning I have to do that each and every
time there's a new patch, or (b) make numerous changes to the
/usr/lib/interchange/ files time and time again each and every time there is
a new patch. Doesn't this seem like a little bit too much work? I have a
number of IC servers around the place, and in all honesty, I'd really
appreciate the ability to update with a single apt command. That sort of
thing saves me a significant amount of time out of my already too busy life.


How does the rest of the community feel about this stuff? Am I just being
lazy, or am I asking for stuff that's Far Too Complicated? I guess any links
in the direction of where I can find the instructions on altering IC to make
it work with a different perl wouldn't go astray either ;)