Why must hosts have PEAR installed?

[DarkAngelBGE]

PEAR is a code library. Cool. But why should a host have it installed? I could just download PEAR myself and require() some of the files that I need. Then I could upload it just as all the other files of my project.

Am I missing anything here?

[Dangermouse]

I thought PEAR has some base libraries that need to be 'installed', then all the packages that depend on PEAR use the PEAR libraries 'installed'?

[frezno]

With PHP >4.3.0 the PEAR base installation is already there - unless you have compiled your PHP without it

More info on that at Pear's HP Chapter 2. Installation

[DarkAngelBGE]

Ah so the libraries that you use use code from the "installed" libraries. That makes sense, yes.

But then again you could just upload all you need, including the "installed" libraries, no ?

[ganesch]

I read that with the PEAR package manager it is very easy and comfortable to add new packages or upgrade existing ones.

Unfortunately my hosting provider told me yesterday that I can't install the PEAR package manager on my webspace because of a bug in the current PHP version (they use 4.3.6)

So it seems that I'm forced to renounce the package manager's ease and comfort

[dklynn]

I have the same problem with a host who will not install PEAR on a shared server. My workaround is to "install PEAR" on my test server then transfer the files to the host -- in one of my directories and adding that directory to the path.

Bummer -- but it IS possible.

Regards,

DK