How to install pcre on openshift - openshift

Question

Any idea how to get hold of pcre (and pcre-devel) libraries on OpenShift / RHEL? I can't directly install packages via yum.
For context, I am trying to install my Yesod/haskell app on openshift, and running into trouble with this pcre dependency during "cabal install".
remote: Configuring pcre-light-0.4.0.3...
remote: cabal: Missing dependency on a foreign library:
remote: * Missing C library: pcre
remote: This problem can usually be solved by installing the system package that
remote: provides this library (you may need the "-dev" version). If the library is
remote: already installed but in a non-standard location then you can use the flags
remote: --extra-include-dirs= and --extra-lib-dirs= to specify where it is.
remote: cabal: Error: some packages failed to install:

Answer 1

Well, I did essentially answer the question as currently titled. The starting point is the put this file in the pre_build hook of your openshift application's git repo (i.e., .openshift/action_hooks/pre_build).
https://gist.github.com/abn/7480593
I did have to add one line, shown below with the comment #AC
#!/bin/bash
# script to install pcre on openshift
# this can be called in your action_hooks to setup pcre
# useful if you want to use regex in uwsgi, or nginx
#
# NOTE:
# If scaling, make sure you call this in your pre_start* hook,
# ${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR} is not copied over for a new gear
PCRE_VERSION="8.33"
PCRE_NAME="pcre-${PCRE_VERSION}"
PCRE_TARBALL=${PCRE_NAME}.tar.gz
PCRE_SRC="ftp://ftp.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/software/programming/pcre/${PCRE_TARBALL}"
function setup_env()
{
if [ -z $(echo $PATH | grep "$OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR/bin") ]; then
export PATH=$PATH:${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR}/bin
export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$LD_LIBRARY_PATH:${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR}/lib
fi
}
function cleanup()
{
rm -rf ${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR}/${PCRE_TARBALL}
rm -rf ${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR}/${PCRE_NAME}
}
function install_pcre()
{
cd ${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR} #AC
wget ${PCRE_SRC}
tar xvf ${PCRE_TARBALL}
cd ${PCRE_NAME}
./configure --prefix=${OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR}
make
make install
}
if [ ! -f "$OPENSHIFT_DATA_DIR/bin/pcre-config" ]; then
install_pcre
setup_env
cleanup
fi
So now pcre is successfully installed on my openshift gear. Mission accomplished! Well, mostly. There is still a separate problem with library paths, but I will ask that separately if RedHat/OpenShift support doesn't come back with an answer.