cpan client- install_base value not used to install Text::Table

[Anonymous Monk]

I was trying to install a module in my own directory via cpan (tried with perl 5.16.3 on CentOS 7; perl 5.30.0 on FreeBSD 12) but failed because install process tried to install Text::Table and Text::Aligner dependencies in a system wide directory (/usr/local) not writable by me as a lowly non-root user.

I had checked that the right directory had been specified for both Build.PL & Makefile.PL. What am I missing in the CPAN configuration file?

cpan[2]> o conf /make|build|install/
$CPAN::Config options from /home/parv/.cpan/CPAN/MyConfig.pm:

    build_cache        [100]
    build_dir          [/home/parv/.cpan/build]
    build_dir_reuse    [0]
    build_requires_install_policy [yes]
    cleanup_after_install undef
    make               [/usr/bin/make]
    make_arg           []
    make_install_arg   [PREFIX=/home/parv/test-perl5]
    make_install_make_command [/usr/bin/make]
    makepl_arg         [PREFIX=/home/parv/test-perl5]
    mbuild_arg         [--install_base /home/parv/test-perl5]
    mbuild_install_arg []
    mbuild_install_build_command [./Build]
    mbuildpl_arg       []
    prefer_installer   [MB]

# cpan client - FAILED on CentOS & FreeBSD.
.
.
.---- JETTERO/Term-ANSIColorx-ColorNicknames-2.7191.tar.gz ----
    Text::Table [requires]
Running install for module 'Text::Table'
.
.
.
Building Text-Table
  SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
  ./Build --install_base /home/parv/test-perl5 --prefix /home/parv/tes
+t-perl5 --install_base /home/parv/test-perl5 --prefix /home/parv/test
+-perl5 -- OK
Running Build test for SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
.
.
.
Result: PASS
  SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
  ./Build test -- OK
Running Build install for SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
Building Text-Table
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+!!
ERROR: Can't create '/usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/Text'
mkdir /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/Text: Permission denied at /usr/l
+ocal/lib/perl5/5.30/ExtUtils/Install.pm line 489.

# Manually issued command - SUCCEEDED on FreeBSD (hadn't tried on Cent
+OS yet).
perl Build.PL --install_base /home/parv/test-perl5/ && ./Build && ./Bu
+ild test && ./Build install
Created MYMETA.yml and MYMETA.json
Creating new 'Build' script for 'Text-Table' version '1.133'
Building Text-Table
.
.
.
Result: PASS
Building Text-Table
Installing /home/parv/test-perl5/lib/perl5/Text/Table.pm
Installing /home/parv/test-perl5/man/man3/Text::Table.3

[haukex]

I'd suggest using local::lib, as that will take care of configuring the modules in a way that they should install cleanly to a local directory. Both cpan and cpanm can make use of local::lib; I believe the former requires a bit of configuration (modern versions should ask you whether you want to use local::lib on initial configuration), and cpanm doesn't need any extra configuration; I'd recommend the latter.

Of course, you could just install an entire build of Perl locally using perlbrew.

[Haarg]

Others have mentioned that PREFIX and --install_base work differently, and you probably don't want to combine them. You should probably change PREFIX to INSTALL_BASE.

The direct problem you are having is because you've configured the --install_base option on the mbuild_arg, which is the build step. It needs to be set either on the install step (mbuild_install_arg) or the configure step (mbuildpl_arg). Setting it on mbuildpl_arg would correspond to how you were using the option manually.

I would definitely recommend using local::lib instead of configuring this in your CPAN shell. And if you didn't want to use local::lib, you would be better off using the PERL_MM_OPT and PERL_MB_OPT environment variables to change the installation location. Either local::lib or using the environment variables manually has the advantage of working with any install tool, not just the CPAN shell.

[Anonymous Monk]

Thanks for explaining the details, especially about "mbuild_install_arg" option.

[Anonymous Monk]

Hi,

PREFIX is not the same as INSTALL_BASE

Maybe that is the reason


perl -I/home/user/stuff/lib/perl5 -S myfoobar.pl
perl -Mlib=/home/user/stuff/lib/perl5 -S myfoobar.pl

export PERLLIB=/home/user/stuff/lib/perl5
myfoobar.pl

export PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT=1
export PERL_MB_OPT=--install_base /home/user/stuff
export PERL_MM_OPT=INSTALL_BASE=/home/user/stuff
export AUTOMATED_TESTING=0

cpan -fi Module Module Module Module Module Module

cpanp -i Module Module Module --allow_build_interactivity=0 --skiptest=0 --force --prereqs=1 --no_update=1

[Anonymous Monk]

One thing to note that module installs as expected when doing everything with Module::Build (./Build, etc) manually (second example). But fails when installing via cpan.

I understand that "install_base" (Module::Build) is not same as PREFIX (ExtUtils::MakeMaker).

Are you suggesting that cpan uses Module::Build to build the module but then uses ExtUtils::MakeMaker to install it (depending on value of INSTALL_BASE) even though "MB" is "prefer_installer" in the CPAN configuration?

[Anonymous Monk]

I am suggesting maybe edit config to not use prefix and see what happens. The manual command shown doesn't match the automatic one.