How can I install local modules with the cpan tool?

Question

my admin has given me sudo rights for

cpan

I also need to install a couple of non-CPAN modules (Atlassian Crowd -> svn connector) to the global PERL5LIB.

I vaguely remember that cpan can install from local sources, without pulling modules from the web.

any pointers? can I do it or should I just have him install those modules manually as root (a major hassle for me)? thanks!

Solution 1

If you want to install the Perl distribution in the current directory, use the dot instead of a filename:

 cpan .

If you are using one of the latest versions of the cpan program (not the one that currently comes with CPAN.pm), you can use the -j switch to specify an alternate configuration file where you can set the --install_base or INSTALL_BASE directives, and also set values for options like connect_to_internet_ok.

 cpan -j /path/to/Config.pm Foo::Bar

If you want to modify your current config to make your alternate config file, use -J to get the file text:

 cpan -J

Ideally, instead for giving you superuser priveleges, that sysadmin would have created a group for Perl admins, would have specified a directory for module installations owned by that group, and added you to that group. You wouldn't need any special powers then.

Solution 2

sudo rights to cpan -i should do the trick:

bash-3.2$ cpan -i Foo::Bar
CPAN: File::HomeDir loaded ok (v0.80)
CPAN: Storable loaded ok (v2.18)
...

I'm not familiar with installing from files via the cpan script. In the cpan shell you can look into the module directory and manually build/install from there if you want, but the original tar file still came from the repository, and the cpan command line doesn't seem to have that function (if it did I doubt the admin would grand sudo rights to it since then you'd have a root shell).

Update: brian d foy suggests that I'm wrong about giving sudo to the cpan command being the same as giving a root shell - here's why I'm right:

bash-3.2# whoami
aufflick
bash-3.2# sudo cpan
cpan[1]> o conf shell bash
cpan[2]> look Acme::Bleach
..... downloads and extracts Acme::Bleach ...
CPAN: File::Temp loaded ok (v0.18)
Working directory is /Users/aufflick/.cpan/build/Acme-Bleach-1.12-v768Dv
bash-3.2# whoami
root
bash-3.2# 

Solution 3

You don't actually need your admin to give you rights to install CPAN modules. In fact local::lib is a better solution for a number of reasons.

Comments

[webwesen]

i should have been more clear. he gave me sudo for cpan and sudo for ./Build - this lets me install into global PERL5LIB

[brian d foy]

local::lib isn't a better solution if you want to install the modules for all users.

[brian d foy]

If you specify a module name, it's always going to try to get it from a CPAN mirror.

[brian d foy]

Without any arguments, the cpan program drops you into the CPAN.pm shell. That's still not a root shell, though. You can only interact with CPAN.pm.

[webwesen]

well.... $ cpan -J Unknown option: J Nothing to install! $ cpan -j Unknown option: j Nothing to install! thanks anyway

[brian d foy]

That's why I said you have to get the latest version. Which one are you using?

[Mark]

Totally agree with Brian's solution about a perl group - that avoids the root shell loophole I mentioned in my comment (now with an example).

[webwesen]

wow...wow...wow... I have to tell my admin how wrong he is. thanks a lot

[Ram]

How should I proceed If I don't have local::lib in the first place?