I cannot directly install modules from CPAN because the compilers are turned off to shared hosting users.

You can directly install Pure-Perl modules from CPAN as those don't require any separate compilers.

If you are really stuck and need an XS module you could always cross-compile as a last resort. However, in your shoes I would break the shackles at this point and move off shared hosting and onto a VM. Your shared hosting will probably limit the scope of any persistent framework/middleware anyway.

I have gone through this list

That list contains things which aren't web frameworks and is pretty far from exhaustive. Earlier this year I submitted this quest response which is far more extensive (and even then I left quite a few out).

You can directly install Pure-Perl modules from CPAN as those don't require any separate compilers.

I'm not sure I can install them via cPanel but, yes, I have in the past downloaded the Perl source and installed it in the appropriate subdirectory of the cgi-bin. My guess is that Mojolicious or one/some of its dependencies won't be pure Perl but worth a try.

Thanks for the list...very helpful :)

"My guess is that Mojolicious or one/some of its dependencies won't be pure Perl"

As mentioned earlier "Very clean, portable and object-oriented pure-Perl API with no hidden magic and no requirements besides Perl 5.26.0 (versions as old as 5.16.0 can be used too, but may require additional CPAN modules to be installed)", you don't have to guess ;)

I'm not sure I can install [Pure-Perl modules from CPAN] via cPanel

FWIW, on my shared host with cPanel, I've even installed XS-based modules via cPanel. At one point, they upgraded perl (thus obsoleting the compiled modules I had already installed) and disabled gcc access; but one trouble-ticket later, and it was re-enabled, and cPanel would let me install those modules again. So cPanel itself isn't enough of a hurdle to prevent installing pure-Perl or even XS modules. But yes, some hosts who use cPanel might not be so friendly and allow you to install XS modules

And even outside of cPanel's interface: since you can use lib ... in your script, you can upload Pure-Perl modules someplace in your user hierarchy, and direct your script to load modules from there.

My guess is that Mojolicious or one/some of its dependencies won't be pure Perl

I'm not sure on what basis you are making that guess. I am not a Mojolicious user but am well aware that their philosophy is not to have any dependencies. I've not seen anything from a cursory glance at the source to suggest that it isn't pure Perl either.

---

🦛

Can you not do the development on your local system in parallel with fighting the module install battle on the hosting system? That at least lets you know what module dependencies there may be.