CPAN Minus

Free plan Linux

What CPAN Minus is

CPAN Minus, or cpanminus, is a free open-source Linux script for finding, unpacking, building, and installing Perl modules from CPAN. Its basic documented command is `cpanm Module`. It resolves dependencies and supports offline installation. The documentation describes a dependency-free tool that can bootstrap itself, needs zero configuration, and runs independently. Runtime memory use is stated as 10MB. It supports Perl 5.8.1 or later and handles Perl modules, CPAN distributions, and tar.gz archives. Installation options include system package managers, system or local Perl, and a standalone executable; named package sources include Debian, RPM, and FreeBSD ports. Modules are installed according to ExtUtils::MakeMaker or Module::Build settings, with a local-lib-compatible home path available when needed. Lookup uses the CPAN Meta DB and falls back to MetaCPAN’s search API. By default, requests include local Perl versions in the User-Agent; `--no-report-perl-version` disables that.

Who it suits

CPAN Minus suits Perl users on Linux who want a direct command-line route to install CPAN modules and resolve dependencies. It is also useful for offline installation and low-memory environments.

What it does well

Free and open source
Dependency resolution included
Offline installation supported
Zero-configuration setup
10MB stated runtime memory

What to know first

Linux platform listing
May struggle with interactive build scripts
Does not report CPAN tester results
Does not build RPM packages

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
cpanminus	get, unpack, build and install modules from CPAN	Free

As github.com lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Verdict

CPAN Minus provides a lightweight, configurable route for obtaining and installing Perl software. Users with interactive builds or needs such as tester reports and RPM creation may require other tools.

Facts from CPAN Minus's own pages

CPAN lookup: It queries the CPAN Meta DB and falls back to MetaCPAN's search API for module lookup. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Dependencies: The documentation lists Perl 5.8.1 or later, tar or Archive::Tar, make, and a C compiler when building XS modules. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Dependency resolution: Yes · raw.githubusercontent.com, 21 Sept 2026
Installation: The documentation describes installation through system package managers, installation into system or local Perl, and downloading a standalone executable. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Install location: It installs modules to the location configured by ExtUtils::MakeMaker and Module::Build, and can set up a local-lib compatible path under the home directory when needed. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Limit: The documentation says cpanminus may have issues with distributions whose tests require STDIN or whose build scripts prompt for input despite `PERL_MM_USE_DEFAULT`. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Maintainer: MetaCPAN lists Tatsuhiko Miyagawa as the author and release uploader. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Not included: The documentation says cpanminus does not itself report CPAN tester results, build RPM packages, list outdated modules, show upgrade changes, or patch modules with distroprefs. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Offline installation: Yes · raw.githubusercontent.com, 21 Sept 2026
Package availability: The documentation names Debian packages, RPMs, FreeBSD ports, and packages for other operating systems. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Package formats: Perl modules,CPAN distributions,tar.gz archives · raw.githubusercontent.com, 21 Sept 2026
Privacy detail: The documentation says cpanm sends local Perl versions in its User-Agent by default when querying those API hosts, and that this can be disabled with `--no-report-perl-version`. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Purpose: cpanminus is a script to get, unpack, build and install modules from CPAN. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Runtime: The documentation says it requires only 10MB of RAM when running. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Setup: The documentation says it is dependency free, can bootstrap itself, requires zero configuration, and stands alone. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026
Supported platforms: Perl 5.8.1 or later · raw.githubusercontent.com, 21 Sept 2026
Usage: The documented basic invocation is `cpanm Module`. · metacpan.org, 12 Oct 2026

Where CPAN Minus stands on Freedom251

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