No $r = no mod_perl?

So I'm following your advice and going the easy route of apt-get everything.

My original server had this config:
Apache/2.2.11 (Ubuntu) mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.10.0 Server

And two years later we're at:
Apache/2.2.14 (Ubuntu) mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.10.1 Server

Is that really the state of two years of progress in apt-get packages, 
or did I choose the wrong repository?

And so after copying over configs and startups I'm getting this error:

Can't call method "auth_name" on an undefined value at 
/usr/local/share/perl/5.10.1/Apache2/AuthCookieDBI.pm line 284.

Which is:  my $auth_name = $r->auth_name;

So the fact that $r is undefined tells me that whatever is running is 
NOT running under mod_perl, is this a valid assessment?

Because right now I will have to get into a fight with my sys-admin who 
will say it's not working because I didn't configure something 
correctly, but my position is if he apt-gets everything and then copies 
over the config/startup from the old (working) install then everything 
*should* work so he's probably left out something.

Do you see now why I would prefer to work with a PaaS instead of admins, 
I don't want to have to deal with this, I just want to write apps.

Thanks!

Tosh

-- 
McIntosh Cooey - Twelve Hundred Group LLC - http://www.1200group.com/