It turned out this problem is related to Moose and/or Class::MOP. I downgraded Moose to 1.25, and Class::MOP to 1.12, and then I got the console just fine when I clicked on "turn admin on".
I managed to operate the Perl debugger on the code, by putting Enbugger->stop at the desired point. I could then debug it interactively.
The stack trace at the point of failure in Search.pm is:
DB<3> T
$ = WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::Search::_searchRoot_builder(ref(WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::Search)) called from file `constructor WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::Search::new (defined at /home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Asset/Wobject/Search.pm line 214)' line 224
$ = WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::Search::new('WebGUI::Asset::Wobject::Search', ref(HASH)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Asset.pm' line 1937
$ = WebGUI::Asset::newByPropertyHashRef('WebGUI::Asset', ref(WebGUI::Session), ref(HASH)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Admin.pm' line 186
@ = WebGUI::Admin::getAssetTypes(ref(WebGUI::Admin)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Admin.pm' line 279
$ = WebGUI::Admin::getNewContentTemplateVars(ref(WebGUI::Admin)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Admin.pm' line 811
$ = WebGUI::Admin::www_view(ref(WebGUI::Admin)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Content/Admin.pm' line 80
$ = WebGUI::Content::Admin::handler(ref(WebGUI::Session)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI/Pluggable.pm' line 287
$ = WebGUI::Pluggable::run('WebGUI::Content::Admin', 'handler', ref(ARRAY)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI.pm' line 165
$ = eval {...} called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI.pm' line 165
. = WebGUI::handle(ref(WebGUI), ref(WebGUI::Session)) called from file `/home/amir/Downloads/webgui/lib/WebGUI.pm' line 77
@ = WebGUI::call(ref(WebGUI), ref(HASH)) called from file `/usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.12.3/Plack/Component.pm' line 39
...
DB<1> l
38==> my $session = shift->session;
39 return $session->setting->get("defaultPage");
40 }
41 property classLimiter => (
42 fieldType => "checkList",
43 default => undef,
44 vertical => 1,
45 tab => "properties",
46 hoverHelp => ["class limiter description", 'Asset_Search'],
47 label => ["class limiter", 'Asset_Search'],
DB<1> p join(",",keys %{$_[0]});
mobileStyleTemplateId,displayTitle,assetSize,classLimiter,newWindow,extraHeadTagsPacked,ownerUserId,extraHeadTags,paginateAfter,isPrototype,isPackage,isHidden,groupIdEdit,encryptPage,inheritUrlFromParent,description,isExportable,lastModified,groupIdView,printableStyleTemplateId
NOTE: "session" is not found there.
With a downgraded Moose:
38==> my $session = shift->session;
39 return $session->setting->get("defaultPage");
40 }
41 property classLimiter => (
42 fieldType => "checkList",
43 default => undef,
44 vertical => 1,
45 tab => "properties",
46 hoverHelp => ["class limiter description", 'Asset_Search'],
47 label => ["class limiter", 'Asset_Search'],
DB<1> p join(",",keys %{$_[0]});
skipNotification,uiLevel,displayTitle,classLimiter,newWindow,synopsis,extraHeadTagsPacked,extraHeadTags,ownerUserId,session,paginateAfter,isHidden,groupIdEdit,encryptPage,inheritUrlFromParent,description,title,printableStyleTemplateId
DB<2>
("session" is found.)
Amir
28668d4195