--- name: "par-archive" section: "1p" platform: "linux" package: "libpar-packer-perl" version: "1.063-1+b2" release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)" platforms: ["linux"] url: "https://new.carta.tech/par-archive" --- # par-archive(1p) Make and run Perl Archives ## NAME par.pl - Make and run Perl Archives ## SYNOPSIS (Please see pp for convenient ways to make self-contained executables, scripts or PAR archives from perl programs.) To make a *PAR distribution* from a CPAN module distribution: ``` % par.pl -p # make a PAR dist under the current path % par.pl -p Foo-0.01 # assume unpacked CPAN dist in Foo-0.01/ ``` To manipulate a *PAR distribution*: ``` % par.pl -i Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par # install % par.pl -i http://foo.com/Foo-0.01 # auto-appends archname + perlver % par.pl -i cpan://AUTRIJUS/PAR-0.74 # uses CPAN author directory % par.pl -u Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par # uninstall % par.pl -s Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par # sign % par.pl -v Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par # verify ``` To use *Hello.pm* from *./foo.par*: ``` % par.pl -A./foo.par -MHello % par.pl -A./foo -MHello # the .par part is optional ``` Same thing, but search *foo.par* in the *@INC*; ``` % par.pl -Ifoo.par -MHello % par.pl -Ifoo -MHello # ditto ``` Run *test.pl* or *script/test.pl* from *foo.par*: ``` % par.pl foo.par test.pl # looks for 'main.pl' by default, # otherwise run 'test.pl' ``` To make a self-containing script containing a PAR file : ``` % par.pl -O./foo.pl foo.par % ./foo.pl test.pl # same as above ``` To embed the necessary non-core modules and shared objects for PAR's execution (like `"Zlib"`, `"IO"`, `"Cwd"`, etc), use the **-b** flag: ``` % par.pl -b -O./foo.pl foo.par % ./foo.pl test.pl # runs anywhere with core modules installed ``` If you also wish to embed *core* modules along, use the **-B** flag instead: ``` % par.pl -B -O./foo.pl foo.par % ./foo.pl test.pl # runs anywhere with the perl interpreter ``` This is particularly useful when making stand-alone binary executables; see pp for details. ## DESCRIPTION This stand-alone command offers roughly the same feature as `"perl` `-MPAR"`, except that it takes the pre-loaded *.par* files via `"-Afoo.par"` instead of `"-MPAR=foo.par"`. Additionally, it lets you convert a CPAN distribution to a PAR distribution, as well as manipulate such distributions. For more information about PAR distributions, see PAR::Dist. ### Binary PAR loader (parl) If you have a C compiler, or a pre-built binary package of **PAR** is available for your platform, a binary version of **par.pl** will also be automatically installed as **parl**. You can use it to run *.par* files: ``` # runs script/run.pl in archive, uses its lib/* as libraries % parl myapp.par run.pl # runs run.pl or script/run.pl in myapp.par % parl otherapp.pl # also runs normal perl scripts ``` However, if the *.par* archive contains either *main.pl* or *script/main.pl*, it is used instead: ``` % parl myapp.par run.pl # runs main.pl, with 'run.pl' as @ARGV ``` Finally, the `"-O"` option makes a stand-alone binary executable from a PAR file: ``` % parl -B -Omyapp myapp.par % ./myapp # run it anywhere without perl binaries ``` With the `"--par-options"` flag, generated binaries can act as `"parl"` to pack new binaries: ``` % ./myapp --par-options -Omyap2 myapp.par # identical to ./myapp % ./myapp --par-options -Omyap3 myap3.par # now with different PAR ``` ### Stand-alone executable format The format for the stand-alone executable is simply concatenating the following elements: - • The executable itself Either in plain-text (*par.pl*) or native executable format (*parl* or *parl.exe*). - • Any number of embedded files These are typically used for bootstrapping PAR's various XS dependencies. Each section contains: - The magic string ""FILE"" - Length of file name in pack('N') format plus 9 - 8 bytes of hex-encoded CRC32 of file content - A single slash (""/"") - The file name (without path) - File length in pack('N') format - The file's content (not compressed) - • One PAR file This is just a zip file beginning with the magic string "`"PK\003\004"`". - • Ending section The pre-computed cache name. A pack('Z40') string of the value of -T (--tempcache) or the hash of the file, followed by `"\0CACHE"`. The hash of the file is calculated with Digest::SHA. A pack('N') number of the total length of FILE and PAR sections, followed by a 8-bytes magic string: "`"\012PAR.pm\012"`". ## SEE ALSO PAR, PAR::Dist, parl, pp ## AUTHORS Audrey Tang \, Steffen Mueller \ You can write to the mailing list at \, or send an empty mail to \ to participate in the discussion. Archives of the mailing list are available at \ or \. Please submit bug reports to \. ## COPYRIGHT Copyright 2002-2009 by Audrey Tang \. Neither this program nor the associated parl program impose any licensing restrictions on files generated by their execution, in accordance with the 8th article of the Artistic License: ``` "Aggregation of this Package with a commercial distribution is always permitted provided that the use of this Package is embedded; that is, when no overt attempt is made to make this Package's interfaces visible to the end user of the commercial distribution. Such use shall not be construed as a distribution of this Package." ``` Therefore, you are absolutely free to place any license on the resulting executable, as long as the packed 3rd-party libraries are also available under the Artistic License. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself. See *LICENSE*.