If they're not bundled in the same distribution (.tar.gz) file then you could put prerequisites in the Makefile.PL of each separate module. Since you said you use ExtUtils::MakeMaker, I've done that with:

#
# $Id: Makefile.PL 49 2009-05-31 13:15:34Z $
#
use ExtUtils::MakeMaker;

require v5.6.1;

WriteMakefile(
   NAME          => 'Module::Name',
   VERSION_FROM  => 'lib/Module/Name.pm',
   LICENSE       => 'artistic',
   ABSTRACT_FROM => 'lib/Module/Name.pm',
   AUTHOR        => 'VinsWorldcom',
   PREREQ_PM     => {
      Business::ISP::m1 => 1.00 # must be greater than ver 1
      Business::ISP::m2 => 0 # version doesn't matter
   },
);
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What I was hoping for, was the ability to have a 'root' or a top-level of my distribution so that everything within its relative namespace gets installed.

The PREREQ_PM only *warns* that dependencies aren't installed.

What I'd like (at minimum) is for all of my modules under this distro to be installed by default, and then the rest of the prereq's installed automatically, or by choice by the user.

I hope I am explaining myself clearly ;)

sb

If you are in your distribution directory, the command

cpan .
[download]

(note that dot) will install all prerequisites and then that module from CPAN.

The alternative is to just include all modules in your distribution directly.

There is no mechanism to tell CPAN to "just pull in all things within that same namespace", except to list all these modules yourself.

CPAN should automatically install every module within a distribution when a single module is requested. For example, if you install HTTP::Request you'll find that HTTP::Message, HTTP::Reponse, HTTP::Headers, HTTP::Status and others get installed as well because they're part of the same distribution.

That's just how CPAN and ExtUtils::MakeMaker work. If this is not working for you, then you're probably using ExtUtils::MakeMaker wrong.