Re^2: How to deliver a perl application to a client?

[xcodejoy]

### You need to tell me about the specifics of the Perl application and the operating system on the production system for further information.

System: FreeBSD or some Linux (depends on client).

My script will collect and store data. It can be run both via cron and as service.

[daxim]

I have read the sibling comment thread. Using perlbrew/cpanm on the production system is not a good idea, IMO.
• They are tools geared toward development; they are easy to use for you, the developer, but annoying for the end user.
• perlbrew/cpanm take a huge amount of time to install, compared to just a few seconds with a binary package.
• If something goes wrong with perlbrew/cpanm, the client has no idea how to fix it.
• Offline installation is straight-forward with a binary package, but complicated with perlbrew/cpanm, you'd need to ship some sort of minicpan.

I don't have experience with FreeBSD. Found instructions: http://lastsummer.de/creating-custom-packages-on-freebsd/

I need to know the Linux distro so I can also link you to the appropriate Web site. Meanwhile I'm going to assume you're targetting deb/rpm and systemd, that already covers a lot of what's running out there in the wild.

Create new user for executing the application

What purpose does it serve? Can't the software run just under a normal user account, like 97% of the other packages on any ordinary system?

It can be run both via cron and as service.

You achieve this simply by shipping a .timer file and corresponding .service file as part of the package. There are many tutorials, I like https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Systemd/Timers. Also see /usr/lib/systemd/system/* for local examples.