Setting up CryptSSL with openssl

[ForGreatJustice]

I've been trying to set up Crypt-SSLeay and openssl to work with my Activeperl for some time now. I've downloaded Crypt-SSLeay 0.51 from CPAN, but I can't seem to get a working openssl distribution up and running. The Crypt SSL package seems to want tolink to *.lib files, and the binary OpenSSL distribution of 0.97 appears to be DLLs and executables. Can anyone recommend a simple solution?

 

[sdeakin]

I have also been down this path some time ago - I eventually gave up stole (sorry, bought) VC++ and compiled my own version of perl + OpenSSL. There were still problems but generally it worked.

I can give you further hints about this method if you decide to accept this mission....

Scotty

 

[ForGreatJustice]

Thanks. I'd like to hear about it, even though it may be a bit beyond me. It seems like such a common operation would be simpler.

 

[sdeakin]

In all honesty I'm not much of a windows person - so all this stuff is pretty trivial on a unix box. However I did have a need to use some non-standard libraries under perl a little while ago - so I re-compiled perl first on my laptop. I would suggest you start here - i.e. download the perl source and compile it under VC++ - it's usually a fairly painless procedure. Once you have that done, you need to compile OpenSSL - there is an INSTALL.W32 file you need to read - but basically it involves running a perl script to setup the compile environment. Once this is done you are at a stage you can compile the module!

I'd start with the perl build first - post how you get on...

Scotty.

 

[ForGreatJustice]

SO you would not recommend using a pre-built binary Perl distribution?

Also, is there anything particularly to recommend VC++? Or can this be done with less ritzy compilers?

 

[sdeakin]

The problem you will have with the builtin stuff is that you really need to rely on ActiveState to build PPM's for everything you need - I am working on something that requires DBI modules for the Firebird database - which is not exactly commonplace - so we had no choice but to compile it ourselves.

I have seen plenty of notes concerning BC++ and Mingw in the perl docs - I have even successfully built a Borland version of perl. However the VC++ was certainly less trouble.

I have re-read my notes with regard to Crypt::SSLeay and it would appear the the reason I did a complete build was because the Crypt::SSLeay module did not do everything I required. I actually got it to work by downloading the PPM package from ActiveState, compiling OpenSSL and copying ssleay32.dll and libeay32.dll into lib\auto\Crypt\SSLeay. Unfortunately the implementation did not do everything I required, so I was forced to look at another solution - in this case I turned to Crypt::OpenSSL which did not have a PPM at that time.

Are you able to to get the Crypt::SSLeay as a PPM from ActiveState? (you will need to re-compile perl if you want the CPAN version)

Scotty