[Haskell-beginners] cabal install errors & issues

[Gregory Guthrie]

Here was my first try to install cabal-dev (to follow advice to vacate cabal install);

     C:\Users\ haskell >cabal install cabal-dev
     Resolving dependencies...
     In order, the following would be installed:
     tar-0.3.2.0 (new package)
     transformers-0.2.2.0 (reinstall) changes: base-4.3.1.0 -> 4.5.0.0
     mtl-2.0.1.0 (reinstall) changes: base-4.3.1.0 -> 4.5.0.0
     parsec-3.1.3 (reinstall) changes: mtl-2.1.2 -> 2.0.1.0
     network-2.3.0.14 (new version)
     HTTP-4000.2.3 (reinstall) changes: mtl-2.1.1 -> 2.0.1.0, network-2.3.0.13 ->
     2.3.0.14, parsec-3.1.2 -> 3.1.3
     cabal-dev-0.9.1 (new package)
     cabal: The following packages are likely to be broken by the reinstalls:
     regex-base-0.93.2
     regex-posix-0.95.1
     regex-compat-0.95.1
     haskell-platform-2011.3.0.0
     regex-posix-0.94.4
     regex-compat-0.93.1
     haskell-platform-2011.2.0.1
     parsec-3.1.1
     network-2.3.0.5
     cgi-3001.1.7.4
     HTTP-4000.1.2
     network-2.3.0.2
     vcgi-3001.1.7.4
     HTTP-4000.1.1
     fgl-5.4.2.4
     fgl-5.4.2.3
     QuickCheck-2.4.0.1
     haskell-platform-2012.2.0.0
     Use --force-reinstalls if you want to install anyway.

The force resultted in the previously reported error - 
     Configuring network-2.3.0.14...
     cabal: The package has a './configure' script. This requires a Unix
     compatibility toolchain such as MinGW+MSYS or Cygwin.
     cabal: Error: some packages failed to install:
     HTTP-4000.2.3 depends on network-2.3.0.14 which failed to install.
     cabal-dev-0.9.1 depends on network-2.3.0.14 which failed to install.
     network-2.3.0.14 failed during the configure step. The exception was:
     ExitFailure 1

Now after the attempt to do the force (which was advised earlier to resolve package shadowing problems left over from cabal-install's),
     C:\Users\haskell>cabal install cabal-dev
     Resolving dependencies...
     In order, the following would be installed:
     network-2.3.0.14 (new version)
     HTTP-4000.2.3 (reinstall) changes: mtl-2.1.1 -> 2.0.1.0, network-2.3.0.13 ->
     2.3.0.14, parsec-3.1.2 -> 3.1.3
     cabal-dev-0.9.1 (new package)
     cabal: The following packages are likely to be broken by the reinstalls:
     haskell-platform-2012.2.0.0
     Use --force-reinstalls if you want to install anyway.

And yes, I do have network installed;
>  network-2.3.0.13
-------------------------------------------
> -----Original Message-----
> Oh, I was assuming you already had a version of 'network' installed that came with the
> Haskell Platform - the platform comes with:
> 
>  network-2.3.0.13
>  HTTP-4000.2.3
> 
> So I assumed they were being installed again because of the flag.
> 
> Really, the platform comes with everything that cabal-dev depends on, so it might be easier
> to solve whatever error message you're getting without the '--force' flag.