Brew perl 5.42.0 installation on ubuntu via docker failed

[KES777]

Description

#13 679.8 ../lib/overload64.t .................................................. ok
#13 679.8 ../lib/overloading.t ................................................. ok
#13 679.8 # Failed test 124 - perldoc command works fine at ../lib/perl5db.t line 3026
#13 679.8 #      got 'This system has been minimized by removing packages and content that are\nnot required on a system that users do not log into.\n\nTo restore this content, including manpages, you can run the \'unminimize\'\ncommand. You will still need to ensure the \'man-db\' package is installed.\n'
#13 679.8 # expected /(?^:No (?:manual )?entry for perlrules)/
#13 679.8 ../lib/perl5db.t ..................................................... 
#13 679.8 Failed 1/163 subtests 
#13 679.8 	(less 2 skipped subtests: 160 okay)
...
#13 679.8 Test Summary Report
#13 679.8 -------------------
#13 679.8 run/todo.t                                                         (Wstat: 0 Tests: 6 Failed: 0)
#13 679.8   TODO passed:   3-4
#13 679.8 ../lib/perl5db.t                                                   (Wstat: 0 Tests: 163 Failed: 1)
#13 679.8   Failed test:  124
#13 679.8 Files=2907, Tests=1337890, 528 wallclock secs (26.68 usr  5.08 sys + 255.37 cusr 30.59 csys = 317.72 CPU)
#13 679.8 Result: FAIL
#13 679.8 Finished test run at Sun Sep 28 22:28:13 2025.
#13 679.8 make: *** [makefile:868: test_harness] Error 1
#13 679.8 ##### Brew Failed #####

Steps to Reproduce

FROM ubuntu:latest

# Prevent interactive prompts during apt install
ENV DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive

# Install basic deps
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    curl git ca-certificates bash \
    && apt-get clean \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

# Install nvm
ENV NVM_DIR=/root/.nvm
RUN mkdir -p $NVM_DIR
SHELL ["/bin/bash", "-c"]
RUN curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash

# Install latest Node.js via nvm and make it default
RUN source $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh && \
    nvm install node && \
    nvm alias default node && \
    nvm install-latest-npm

# Install Codex CLI globally
RUN source $NVM_DIR/nvm.sh && \
    npm install -g @openai/codex

# Install perl
RUN \curl -L https://install.perlbrew.pl | bash

RUN cat << EOF >> $HOME/.bashrc
if [ -f ~/perl5/perlbrew/etc/bashrc ]; then
  source ~/perl5/perlbrew/etc/bashrc
  source ~/perl5/perlbrew/etc/perlbrew-completion.bash
  alias pb="perlbrew"
  complete -F _perlbrew_compgen pb
fi
EOF

RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y build-essential

RUN source ~/perl5/perlbrew/etc/bashrc && perlbrew install perl-5.42.0 --switch \
	|| cat /root/perl5/perlbrew/build.perl-5.42.0.log


# Set working dir inside container
WORKDIR /app

# Default command
CMD ["/bin/bash"]

Expected behavior
installation should not fail. I understand that something could be removed from the system, but in this case we do not need manual pages for perl debugger.

[KES777]

probably relevant docker/for-linux#639 (comment)

[Leont]

I understand that something could be removed from the system, but in this case we do not need manual pages for perl debugger.

Except we do have a man/perldoc feature in the debugger, so we do need to test it.

That said, I'm not sure this testing on a specific error output really makes sense.

[jkeenan]

At the risk of sounding ignorant, I have to ask: Why should this be a concern of the Perl 5 Porters?

Is there some defect in the Perl 5 core distribution, i.e., the code in this repository, or the release tarballs we have on CPAN?

Or is there some defect in second-order repackaging of Perl?

(I say "second-order" because this is not simply a question of what Ubuntu (or Ubuntu following Debian) does; it's Docker on Ubuntu.)

[KES777]

Is there a way to run that test manually? I'll try to debug what is the problem

[Leont]

Is there a way to run that test manually? I'll try to debug what is the problem

The problem is clear enough: this man gives a different output than all other mans that have ever been written. You could either.

1. Detect this not-real man, and skip the test entirely
2. Change the regex of accepted outputs

I'd argue 1 is the better solution.

[KES777]

Strange. If I run test alone it exists with success exit code, though perldoc test still fails. (Not expected).

./perl ../lib/perl5db.t && echo "Success"
...
not ok 124 - perldoc command works fine
# Failed test 124 ...
...
ok 163 - break immediately after defining problem
1..163
Success

[KES777]

Closing as completed.