How to Install Perl Modules

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Installing perl modules can be troublesome, especially when you’re not a ROOT user. After a lot of “pain”, I decide to document the two ways to install perl modules (it’s not my creation, just for a memo).

Check installed

First, check if the module has been installed:

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# system perl
$ which perl
/usr/bin/perl
$ perl -e 'use DBD::Oracle; print $DBD::Oracle::VERSION;'
Can't locate DBD/Oracle.pm in @INC (@INC contains: /home/niuyw/software/perl.5.24.0/lib/site_perl/5.24.0/x86_64-linux /home/software/lib64/perl5 /home/software/share/perl5/ /home/software/vcftools-0.1.15/src/perl /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/share/perl5 /home/software/lib64/perl5 /home/software/share/perl5/ /home/software/vcftools-0.1.15/src/perl /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/share/perl5 /usr/local/lib64/perl5 /usr/local/share/perl5 /usr/lib64/perl5/vendor_perl /usr/share/perl5/vendor_perl /usr/lib64/perl5 /usr/share/perl5 .) at -e line 1.

# perl installed under my own dirctory
$ ~/software/perl.5.24.0/bin/perl -e 'use DBD::Oracle; print $DBD::Oracle::VERSION;'
Can't locate DBD/Oracle.pm in @INC (you may need to install the DBD::Oracle module) (@INC contains: /home/niuyw/software/perl.5.24.0/lib/site_perl/5.24.0/x86_64-linux /home/software/lib64/perl5 /home/software/share/perl5/ /home/software/vcftools-0.1.15/src/perl /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/share/perl5 /home/software/lib64/perl5 /home/software/share/perl5/ /home/software/vcftools-0.1.15/src/perl /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/share/perl5 /home/niuyw/software/perl.5.24.0/lib/site_perl/5.24.0/x86_64-linux /home/niuyw/software/perl.5.24.0/lib/site_perl/5.24.0 /home/niuyw/software/perl.5.24.0/lib/5.24.0/x86_64-linux /home/niuyw/software/perl.5.24.0/lib/5.24.0 .) at -e line 1.
BEGIN failed--compilation aborted at -e line 1.

# if the module has been installed
$ ~/software/perl.5.24.0/bin/perl -e 'use URI::Escape; print $URI::Escape::VERSION;\n'
3.31

Scenario 1: you’re a ROOT user OR use your own perl

In this case, the installation is simple.

Use cpan -i module_name

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$ ~/software/perl.5.24.0/bin/cpan -i Net::Server

Use perl -MCPAN -e shell

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$ ~/software/perl.5.24.0/bin/perl -MCPAN -e shell
Terminal does not support AddHistory.

cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v2.16)
Enter 'h' for help.

cpan[1]> h

Display Information                                                  (ver 2.16)
 command  argument          description
 a,b,d,m  WORD or /REGEXP/  about authors, bundles, distributions, modules
 i        WORD or /REGEXP/  about any of the above
 ls       AUTHOR or GLOB    about files in the author's directory
    (with WORD being a module, bundle or author name or a distribution
    name of the form AUTHOR/DISTRIBUTION)

Download, Test, Make, Install...
 get      download                     clean    make clean
 make     make (implies get)           look     open subshell in dist directory
 test     make test (implies make)     readme   display these README files
 install  make install (implies test)  perldoc  display POD documentation

Upgrade installed modules
 r        WORDs or /REGEXP/ or NONE    report updates for some/matching/all
 upgrade  WORDs or /REGEXP/ or NONE    upgrade some/matching/all modules

Pragmas
 force  CMD    try hard to do command  fforce CMD    try harder
 notest CMD    skip testing

Other
 h,?           display this menu       ! perl-code   eval a perl command
 o conf [opt]  set and query options   q             quit the cpan shell
 reload cpan   load CPAN.pm again      reload index  load newer indices
 autobundle    Snapshot                recent        latest CPAN uploads

# search modules using keyword
cpan[2]> i /scws/
Distribution    XUERON/Text-Scws-0.01.tar.gz
Module  < Text::Scws             (XUERON/Text-Scws-0.01.tar.gz)
2 items found

# install modules
cpan[3]> install Net::Server
Net::Server is up to date (2.009).

# quit
cpan[5]> q/quit/exit

Scenario 2: you’re a common user but want to use the system perl

Install packages from source

This process can be tedious, especially if the modules you want to install depend on other modules.

Sometimes, even we have installed own perl, but still need to use the perl under /usr/bin/perl.

First, create a directory for perl modules. This directory would be used to store perl modules.

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mkdir -p /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib

Second, download a module and install it from source code locally. Go CPAN to search and download the modules you want to install.

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$ tar zxf Capture-Tiny-0.46.tar.gz && cd Capture-Tiny-0.46
$ which perl
/usr/bin/perl

# specify the path to install
$ perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=/home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib
Checking if your kit is complete...
Looks good
Generating a Unix-style Makefile
Writing Makefile for Capture::Tiny
Writing MYMETA.yml and MYMETA.json

$ make && make install
cp lib/Capture/Tiny.pm blib/lib/Capture/Tiny.pm
Manifying 1 pod document
Manifying 1 pod document
Appending installation info to /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/lib64/perl5/perllocal.pod

$ perl -e 'use Capture::Tiny; print $Capture::Tiny::VERSION;'
0.46

Third, add the path above to your .bashrc. Notice the format.

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export PERL5LIB=$PERL5LIB:/home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/share/perl5:/home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib/lib64/perl5

Use cpanm

cpanm is a perl module to help users to get, unpack build and install modules from CPAN.

First, install cpanm

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# download
$ wget https://cpan.metacpan.org/authors/id/M/MI/MIYAGAWA/App-cpanminus-1.7044.tar.gz

# install
$ tar zxf App-cpanminus-1.7044.tar.gz
$ cd App-cpanminus-1.7044
$ perl Makefile.PL PREFIX=/home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib
$ make && make install

Help information.

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$ ~/bin/perl_lib/bin/cpanm -h
Usage: cpanm [options] Module [...]

Options:
  -v,--verbose              Turns on chatty output
  -q,--quiet                Turns off the most output
  --interactive             Turns on interactive configure (required for Task:: modules)
  -f,--force                force install
  -n,--notest               Do not run unit tests
  --test-only               Run tests only, do not install
  -S,--sudo                 sudo to run install commands
  --installdeps             Only install dependencies
  --showdeps                Only display direct dependencies
  --reinstall               Reinstall the distribution even if you already have the latest version installed
  --mirror                  Specify the base URL for the mirror (e.g. http://cpan.cpantesters.org/)
  --mirror-only             Use the mirror's index file instead of the CPAN Meta DB
  -M,--from                 Use only this mirror base URL and its index file
  --prompt                  Prompt when configure/build/test fails
  -l,--local-lib            Specify the install base to install modules
  -L,--local-lib-contained  Specify the install base to install all non-core modules
  --self-contained          Install all non-core modules, even if they're already installed.
  --auto-cleanup            Number of days that cpanm's work directories expire in. Defaults to 7

Commands:
  --self-upgrade            upgrades itself
  --info                    Displays distribution info on CPAN
  --look                    Opens the distribution with your SHELL
  -U,--uninstall            Uninstalls the modules (EXPERIMENTAL)
  -V,--version              Displays software version

Examples:

  cpanm Test::More                                          # install Test::More
  cpanm MIYAGAWA/Plack-0.99_05.tar.gz                       # full distribution path
  cpanm http://example.org/LDS/CGI.pm-3.20.tar.gz           # install from URL
  cpanm ~/dists/MyCompany-Enterprise-1.00.tar.gz            # install from a local file
  cpanm --interactive Task::Kensho                          # Configure interactively
  cpanm .                                                   # install from local directory
  cpanm --installdeps .                                     # install all the deps for the current directory
  cpanm -L extlib Plack                                     # install Plack and all non-core deps into extlib
  cpanm --mirror http://cpan.cpantesters.org/ DBI           # use the fast-syncing mirror
  cpanm -M https://cpan.metacpan.org App::perlbrew          # use only this secure mirror and its index

You can also specify the default options in PERL_CPANM_OPT environment variable in the shell rc:

  export PERL_CPANM_OPT="--prompt --reinstall -l ~/perl --mirror http://cpan.cpantesters.org"

Type `man cpanm` or `perldoc cpanm` for the more detailed explanation of the options.

Install packages.

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~/bin/perl_lib/bin/cpanm -l /home/niuyw/bin/perl_lib Log::Log4perl Math::CDF

Footnote

Thanks Quan Kang for teaching me how to install perl modules from source code.

Change log

  • 20180413: create the note
  • 20180414: change the setting of PERL5LIB
  • 20190402: add the section “use cpanm”
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