ActiveState/PERL virgin, please be gentle...

[wansolutions]

G'day All,
I've downloaded the latest version of ActivePerl (5.8.7.813) and installed it on my Windows XP laptop.
I can get into ppm and can change settings, specifically "set fields name"; before I started playing with the setting, it would show three "fields" - Name, Version & Abstract. Now it will only show one "field". I enter the command "set fields name abstract version" but still ppm returns that the "fields" have been set to name only. What is the correct syntax for this command, I can't find it in the accompanying html help file.
Secondly, how do I get ppm to "see" packages? My laptop does no have an internet connection, I have set a repository up as c:\, I can run "search *" but get no returns.
If I run "query *" I get returns, but only for modules that I believe were installed with the initial installation of ActivePerl.
I have had a look at the FAQ's on the matter but they have not been able to help me.
Are there some simple things that I am doing wrong (I think so)? Do I need to navigate to somewhere in particular before I kick off my ppm session? I thought that was why you could set repositories locally?
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers, Kirby.

 

[stevexff]

From ppm help set

ppm set fields NAME ABSTRACT VERSION

I think the capitalisation might be important...

 

[wansolutions]

Thanks for your input stevexff, but I've tried that too and still no joy.

 

[stevexff]

There's a C:\Perl\site\lib\ppm-conf\cmdline.cfg which you might be able to edit. Mine (I haven't done ppm set anything, so it ought to be plain vanilla) looks like

active_reps: @
    : ActiveState PPM2 Repository
    : ActiveState Package Repository
case-sensitivity: 0
fields: name version abstract
follow-install: 1
force-install: 0
install-verbose: 1
max_history: 100
page-lines: 24
pager: ""
prompt-context: 0
prompt-slotsize: 11
prompt-verbose: 0
remove-verbose: 1
sort-field: name
target: ActivePerl 5.8.4.810
upgrade-verbose: 1
verbose-startup: 1

if it's any help...