I use Module::Starter, via the module-starter script, but I don't use Module::Build (I use ExtUtils::MakeMaker). I became very curious about all of these anomalies, so I decided to try the commands that you've shown for myself.

I upgraded modules, where necessary, to the latest versions:

$ perl -E 'use Module::Starter; say $Module::Starter::VERSION'
1.77

$ perl -E 'use Module::Build; say $Module::Build::VERSION'
0.4231
[download]

I pared down my ~/.module-starter/config to an absolute barebones version:

ken@titan ~/.module-starter
$ cat config
author:  Ken Cotterill
email:   kcott@cpan.org
[download]

I created a fresh directory, ~/tmp/pm_11126324, for my tests. I then ran the commands you show.

ken@titan ~/tmp/pm_11126324
$ module-starter --version
module-starter v1.77

ken@titan ~/tmp/pm_11126324
$ module-starter -mb --module test_module_starter
Added to MANIFEST: Build.PL
Added to MANIFEST: Changes
Added to MANIFEST: lib/test_module_starter.pm
Added to MANIFEST: MANIFEST
Added to MANIFEST: README
Added to MANIFEST: t/00-load.t
Added to MANIFEST: t/manifest.t
Added to MANIFEST: t/pod-coverage.t
Added to MANIFEST: t/pod.t
Added to MANIFEST: xt/boilerplate.t
Created starter directories and files

ken@titan ~/tmp/pm_11126324
$
[download]

So, I don't see any of the initial lines that you show:

Created test_module_starter
Created test_module_starter/lib
Created test_module_starter/lib/test_module_starter.pm
Created test_module_starter/t
Created test_module_starter/t/manifest.t
Created test_module_starter/t/00-load.t
Created test_module_starter/t/pod.t
Created test_module_starter/t/pod-coverage.t
Created test_module_starter/xt
Created test_module_starter/xt/boilerplate.t
Created test_module_starter/Build.PL
Created test_module_starter/Changes
Created test_module_starter/README
Regenerating MANIFEST
Can't find dist packages without a MANIFEST file
Run 'Build manifest' to generate one

WARNING: Possible missing or corrupt 'MANIFEST' file.
Nothing to enter for 'provides' field in metafile.
Created MYMETA.yml and MYMETA.json
Creating new 'Build' script for 'test_module_starter' version '0.01'
File 'MANIFEST.SKIP' does not exist: Creating a temporary 'MANIFEST.SK
+IP'
[download]

There would appear to be a bug in Module::Build in that it reports "Added to MANIFEST: xt/boilerplate.t" but either that didn't happen or that line was subsequently removed:

ken@titan ~/tmp/pm_11126324
$ cat test_module_starter/MANIFEST
Build.PL
Changes
lib/test_module_starter.pm
MANIFEST                        This list of files
README
t/00-load.t
t/manifest.t
t/pod-coverage.t
t/pod.t
[download]

I had a look in "Active bugs for Module-Build" but couldn't see anything related to this. There are multiple screenfuls of active bugs, so I may have missed it; also, that many active bugs does not fill me with confidence about this module in general.

It may be that you're attempting to create your module in a directory that's filled with files from previous attempts. That could account for all the extra messages that you reported. Try creating a fresh, empty directory and start again from scratch.

Also look in your ~/.module-starter/config and see what's there that could be causing issues. Do you, perhaps, have a template_dir: line which is causing your directory to be populated with problem files.

Your cp MANIFEST.SKIP.bak MANIFEST.SKIP command looks wrong to me. Normally, you copy a file to a backup version; not the other way around.

I looked at the "Module::Build: ACTIONS: test" documentation. It does not appear to recursively work through the t/ directory:

"Tests can be defined in the standard places: a file called test.pl in the top-level directory, or several files ending with .t in a t/ directory."

You may be able to use the --test_files argument to do what you want. I haven't tested this.

Also look at "Module::Build: SEE ALSO". There are a number of links there that might be useful for you (e.g. the Cookbook). I didn't look at any of these.

Finally, you might consider using ExtUtils::MakeMaker instead of Module::Build. That's what I use for both personal projects and $work: I've never had any of the sort of issues that you're reporting.