[Haskell-cafe] Completely confused by cabal

[Colin Paul Adams]

[colin at susannah ghc]$ ghc-pkg list
/usr/local/lib/ghc-6.11.20090319/./package.conf:
    Cabal-1.7.0, array-0.2.0.1, base-3.0.3.0, base-4.0.0.0,
    bytestring-0.9.1.4, containers-0.2.0.1, directory-1.0.0.2,
    (dph-base-0.4.0), (dph-par-0.4.0), (dph-prim-interface-0.4.0),
    (dph-prim-par-0.4.0), (dph-prim-seq-0.4.0), (dph-seq-0.4.0),
    editline-0.2.1.0, ffi-1.0, filepath-1.1.0.1, gconf-0.10.0,
    (ghc-6.11.20090319), ghc-prim-0.1.0.0, gio-0.10.0, glib-0.10.0,
    haskell98-1.0.1.0, hpc-0.5.0.2, integer-0.1.0.0,
    old-locale-1.0.0.1, old-time-1.0.0.1, packedstring-0.1.0.1,
    pretty-1.0.1.0, process-1.0.1.1, random-1.0.0.1, rts-1.0,
    syb-0.1.0.0, template-haskell-2.3.0.0, unix-2.3.1.0
/home/colin/.ghc/x86_64-linux-6.11.20090319/package.conf:
    EdisonAPI-1.2.1, EdisonCore-1.2.1.3, HUnit-1.2.0.3,
    QuickCheck-1.2.0.0, cairo-0.10.0, game-tree-0.1.0.0, gconf-0.10.0,
    gio-0.10.0, glade-0.10.0, glib-0.10.0, gnomevfs-0.10.0,
    gstreamer-0.10.0, gtk-0.10.0, gtkglext-0.10.0, mozembed-0.10.0,
    mtl-1.1.0.2, parallel-1.1.0.0, parsec-2.1.0.1, parsec-3.0.0,
    soegtk-0.10.0, sourceview-0.10.0, svgcairo-0.10.0, time-1.1.2.3
[colin at susannah ghc]$ su -c 'cabal install parsec --global'
Password: 
Warning: The package list for 'hackage.haskell.org' does not exist. Run 'cabal
update' to download it.
cabal: There is no package named parsec
[colin at susannah ghc]$ su -c 'cabal install parsec-2.0.0 --global'
Password: 
Warning: The package list for 'hackage.haskell.org' does not exist. Run 'cabal
update' to download it.
cabal: There is no package named parsec
[colin at susannah ghc]$ cabal update
Downloading the latest package list from hackage.haskell.org
[colin at susannah ghc]$ su -c 'cabal install parsec-2.0.0 --global'
Password: 
Warning: The package list for 'hackage.haskell.org' does not exist. Run 'cabal
update' to download it.
cabal: There is no package named parsec
[colin at susannah ghc]$ cabal update --global
unrecognized option `--global'

Why does cabal install nearly everything in the user repository rather
than the global repository?
-- 
Colin Adams
Preston Lancashire