Directions for downloading and installing Perl on Windows98

[jmckendry at comcast.net (John McKendry)]

"kgleason.ma.ultranet at rcn.com" wrote:
> 
> I guess my needed task to collect data from an html form to a data file
> will best be done using Perl. My server is running Windows98se and I would
> like to install Perl to do some CGI but when I attempt to download
> 'InstMsiA.exe' from http://www.activestate.com and double click on the
> executable I get the message 'The Specified Server already exists'. I then
> try to compile a sample script and the script doesn't execute. What am I
> doing wrong? I don't think I was properly installed...so I would like to
> reinstall from scratch.
> 
> Can anyone offer a good step-by-step solution for downloading Perl on my
> Windows98se fileserver? Can it be all that difficult to accomplish this
> task?
> 
 The file InstMsiA.exe is a self-installer for the latest Microsoft Windows 
Installer. The "already exists" message just means that something has 
already installed the current version of the installer. Now you need to
go to 
http://www.activestate.com/Products/Download/Download.plex?id=ActivePerl
and download the Perl distribution itself, where it says
Active Perl 5.8.0 build 806, Windows, MSI . Click on the link and choose
"Save to Disk". You will get a file named ActivePerl-5.8.0.806.MSWin32-x86.msi .
Find this file in Explorer and double-click and you should get the setup
wizard dialogue. Take the defaults and let it chug until it says "done". You may
have to reboot before you can get the samples to work.

 If you're using Microsoft's Personal Web Server, take a look at
http://www.danchan.com/feature/2000/10/16/cgiwin/cgiwin.htm for instructions on
setting it up to use Perl/CGI.

 Since this is the Boston Linux-Unix discussion list, I should probably advise
you that Microsoft products are not viewed with great favor here. But perhaps
an experience with Perl will help guide your steps toward the True Path.

John