Apparently it's not straightforward to install SOAP::Lite, even using CPAN.

Check this out.

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cpan[1]> install SOAP::Lite
CPAN: Storable loaded ok (v2.18)
Going to read /root/.cpan/Metadata
  Database was generated on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:29:45 GMT
CPAN: YAML loaded ok (v0.66)
Going to read /root/.cpan/build/
............................................................................DONE
Found 149 old builds, restored the state of 109
Warning: Cannot install SOAP::Lite, don't know what it is.
Try the command
 
    i /SOAP::Lite/
 
to find objects with matching identifiers.
CPAN: Time::HiRes loaded ok (v1.9713)

Huh? Okay…

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cpan[2]> i /SOAP::Lite/    
Module    ResourcePool::Command::SOAP::Lite::Call (MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz)
Module    ResourcePool::Factory::SOAP::Lite (MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz)
Module    ResourcePool::Resource::SOAP::Lite (MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchema1999 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchema2001 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchemaSOAP1_1 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchemaSOAP1_2 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::InstanceExporter (SMEISNER/SOAP-Lite-InstanceExporter-0.02.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Packager   (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Simple     (LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.9.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Simple::DotNet (LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.4.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Simple::Real (LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.4.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Utility    (BRYCE/SOAP-Lite-Utility-0.01.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Utils      (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
14 items found

Wtf? Let's try something else.

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cpan[8]> i /SOAP.*Lite/                           
Distribution    BRYCE/SOAP-Lite-Utility-0.01.tar.gz
Distribution    BYRNE/SOAP/SOAP-Lite-0.60a.tar.gz
Distribution    DYACOB/SOAP-Lite-ActiveWorks-0.10.tar.gz
Distribution    DYACOB/SOAP-Lite-SmartProxy-0.11.tar.gz
Distribution    LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.4.tar.gz
Distribution    LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.9.tar.gz
Distribution    MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz
Distribution    MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz
Distribution    SMEISNER/SOAP-Lite-InstanceExporter-0.02.tar.gz
Module    Catalyst::Action::SOAP::DocumentLiteral (DRUOSO/Catalyst-Controller-SOAP-0.8.tar.gz)
Module    Catalyst::Action::SOAP::DocumentLiteralWrapped (DRUOSO/Catalyst-Controller-SOAP-0.8.tar.gz)
Module    Catalyst::Action::SOAP::RPCLiteral (DRUOSO/Catalyst-Controller-SOAP-0.8.tar.gz)
Module    Catalyst::Controller::SOAP::DocumentLiteralWrapped (DRUOSO/Catalyst-Controller-SOAP-0.8.tar.gz)
Module    Net::DRI::Transport::HTTP::SOAPLite (PMEVZEK/Net-DRI-0.85.tar.gz)
Module    ResourcePool::Command::SOAP::Lite::Call (MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz)
Module    ResourcePool::Factory::SOAP::Lite (MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz)
Module    ResourcePool::Resource::SOAP::Lite (MWS/ResourcePool-Resource-SOAP-Lite-1.0101.tar.gz)
Module  = SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchema1999 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module  = SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchema2001 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module  = SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchemaSOAP1_1 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module  = SOAP::Lite::Deserializer::XMLSchemaSOAP1_2 (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::InstanceExporter (SMEISNER/SOAP-Lite-InstanceExporter-0.02.tar.gz)
Module  = SOAP::Lite::Packager   (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Simple     (LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.9.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Simple::DotNet (LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.4.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Simple::Real (LLAP/SOAP-Lite-Simple-1.4.tar.gz)
Module    SOAP::Lite::Utility    (BRYCE/SOAP-Lite-Utility-0.01.tar.gz)
Module  = SOAP::Lite::Utils      (MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz)
28 items found

Aha! It's hiding under a Distribution. Tricky, tricky.

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cpan
install MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz
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  CPAN.pm: Going to build M/MK/MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz
 
We are about to install SOAP::Lite and for your convenience will provide
you with list of modules and prerequisites, so you'll be able to choose
only modules you need for your configuration.
 
XMLRPC::Lite, UDDI::Lite, and XML::Parser::Lite are included by default.
Installed transports can be used for both SOAP::Lite and XMLRPC::Lite.
 
Press  to see the detailed list.  
 
Feature                       Prerequisites                Install?
----------------------------- ---------------------------- --------
Core Package                  [*] Scalar::Util             always  
                              [*] Test::More                       
                              [*] URI                              
                              [*] MIME::Base64                     
                              [*] version                          
                              [*] XML::Parser (v2.23)              
Client HTTP support           [*] LWP::UserAgent           always  
Client HTTPS support          [*] Crypt::SSLeay            [ yes ] 
Client SMTP/sendmail support  [ ] MIME::Lite               [ no ]  
Client FTP support            [*] IO::File                 [ yes ] 
                              [*] Net::FTP                         
Standalone HTTP server        [*] HTTP::Daemon             [ yes ] 
Apache/mod_perl server        [ ] Apache                   [ no ]  
FastCGI server                [ ] FCGI                     [ no ]  
POP3 server                   [*] MIME::Parser             [ yes ] 
                              [*] Net::POP3                        
IO server                     [*] IO::File                 [ yes ] 
MQ transport support          [ ] MQSeries                 [ no ]  
JABBER transport support      [ ] Net::Jabber              [ no ]  
MIME messages                 [*] MIME::Parser             [ yes ] 
DIME messages                 [*] IO::Scalar (v2.105)      [ no ]  
                              [ ] DIME::Tools (v0.03)              
                              [ ] Data::UUID (v0.11)               
SSL Support for TCP Transport [ ] IO::Socket::SSL          [ no ]  
Compression support for HTTP  [*] Compress::Zlib           [ yes ] 
MIME interoperability w/ Axis [ ] MIME::Parser (v6.106)    [ no ]  
--- An asterix '[*]' indicates if the module is currently installed.
 
Do you want to proceed with this configuration? [yes] 
Checking if your kit is complete...
Looks good
Writing Makefile for SOAP::Lite
cp lib/SOAP/Packager.pm blib/lib/SOAP/Packager.pm
cp lib/XML/Parser/Lite.pm blib/lib/XML/Parser/Lite.pm
...
Writing /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.10.0/i686-linux/auto/SOAP/Lite/.packlist
Appending installation info to /usr/lib/perl5/5.10.0/i686-linux/perllocal.pod
  MKUTTER/SOAP-Lite-0.71.04.tar.gz
  /usr/bin/make install  -- OK

The latest version of SOAP::Lite is installed, time to pat yourself on the back and write some code to actually use it.

I'm sure most Perl coders have to face this annoying problem at one point or another: how do you consistently get the return value out of a system call, be at executed via backticks or system()? Backticks return the output of the program with no error code in sight, while system() returns the error code but prints the output instead of putting it into a variable.

The best solution I could find to this problem to date was posted at http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=19119 and involved opening a piped filehandle. It worked quite well but always felt like a hack (which it was). Having used the new Perl 5.10 for a few months, I was shocked today to find this new variable that I've been dreaming about for years:

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${^CHILD_ERROR_NATIVE}

This variable gives the native status returned by the last pipe close, backtick command, successful call to wait() or waitpid(), or from the system() operator. See perlrun for details. (Contributed by Gisle Aas.)

http://search.cpan.org/dist/perl-5.10.0/pod/perl5100delta.pod#New_internal_variables

I've just tested it and it works as described. Finally!.. what else can I say?