Bug#583612: MakeMaker-created Makefile can't do "make install" if /usr/local/share/man/ doesn't exist

[Brian Sammon]

Package: perl-modules
Version: 5.10.1-12

The first piece of /usr/local/ software I try to install on this machine is a perl library.

I get the following error message

  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  ERROR: Can't create '/usr/local/man/man3'
  mkdir /usr/local/man: File exists at /usr/share/perl/5.10/ExtUtils/Install.pm line 479
  
  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
   at -e line 1

I believe the problem is that /usr/local/man is a symlink to the currently nonexistent /usr/local/share/man .
The makefile (or ExtUtils::Install) can't deal with this situation.
When I manually create /usr/local/share/man/ the problem goes away.