CPAN Installation of Perl Packages Fails

m_jaser has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hello Perl Monks

I've been trying to install some perl packages via CPAN but its failing, see the examples below for your reference. Can you please advise how can I successfully install these packages?

[~]$ cpan -f -i Device::SerialPort
Going to read '/home/emarwja/.cpan/Metadata'
  Database was generated on Thu, 22 Jun 2017 02:17:02 GMT
Running install for module 'Device::SerialPort'
Running make for C/CO/COOK/Device-SerialPort-1.04.tar.gz
Checksum for /home/emarwja/.cpan/sources/authors/id/C/CO/COOK/Device-S
+erialPort-1.04.tar.gz ok

  CPAN.pm: Going to build C/CO/COOK/Device-SerialPort-1.04.tar.gz

To enable serial port tests, use:
        perl Makefile.PL TESTPORT=<DEVICE>
where <DEVICE> is a specific port or 'auto' to autodetect.
Running ./configure ...
checking for gcc... no
checking for cc... no
checking for cl.exe... no
configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH
See `config.log' for more details.
The 'configure' script didn't like something.  It should have told you
what went wrong, but you can check 'config.log' for more details.
Warning: No success on command[/usr/bin/perl Makefile.PL]
  COOK/Device-SerialPort-1.04.tar.gz
  /usr/bin/perl Makefile.PL -- NOT OK
Running make test
  Make had some problems, won't test
Running make install
  Make had some problems, won't install
Could not read metadata file. Falling back to other methods to determi
+ne prerequisites
[~]$
[download]

[~]$ cpan -f -i NET:TELNET
Going to read '/home/emarwja/.cpan/Metadata'
  Database was generated on Thu, 22 Jun 2017 02:17:02 GMT
Warning: Cannot install NET:TELNET, don't know what it is.
Try the command

    i /NET:TELNET/

to find objects with matching identifiers.
[~]$
[~]$ cpan -f -i NET:SSH
Going to read '/home/emarwja/.cpan/Metadata'
  Database was generated on Thu, 22 Jun 2017 02:17:02 GMT
Warning: Cannot install NET:SSH, don't know what it is.
Try the command

    i /NET:SSH/

to find objects with matching identifiers.
[~]$
[download]

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Re: CPAN Installation of Perl Packages Fails by kevbot (Vicar) on Jun 22, 2017 at 05:12 UTC
Hello m_jaser, According to this line in your output, `configure: error: no acceptable C compiler found in $PATH` [download] you don't have a C compiler installed (which is needed by Device::SerialPort). Some (but not all) modules require a C compiler. Module names are case-sensitive. So, your attempts to install Net::SSH and Net::Telnet failed because `cpan` could not find the modules. Also, you should not need to use the `-f` flag in most cases. After you install a C compiler, you may want to try the following. `cpan -i Net::SSH cpan -i Net::Telnet` [download] If you want more specific advice on how to fix these problems, then please let us know which operating system you are running and which version of perl you are running.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: CPAN Installation of Perl Packages Fails by afoken (Chancellor) on Jun 22, 2017 at 06:30 UTC
If you want more specific advice on how to fix these problems, then please let us know which operating system you are running and which version of perl you are running. To get information about perl: `perl -v` To get much more information about perl: `perl -V` To get information about the operating system: `uname -a` In case of Linux, also try: `ls /etc/version` and if that lists a file, show its content: `cat /etc/`some-linux-distro-name`-version` Alexander -- Today I will gladly share my knowledge and experience, for there are no sweeter words than "I told you so". ;-)	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^3: CPAN Installation of Perl Packages Fails by m_jaser (Novice) on Jun 22, 2017 at 15:40 UTC
Thanks a lot for the replies...! Here are the details of the system i'm using: [~]$ perl -v This is perl 5, version 14, subversion 4 (v5.14.4) built for cygwin-th +read-multi-64int (with 14 registered patches, see perl -V for more detail) Copyright 1987-2013, Larry Wall Perl may be copied only under the terms of either the Artistic License + or the GNU General Public License, which may be found in the Perl 5 source ki +t. Complete documentation for Perl, including FAQ lists, should be found +on this system using "man perl" or "perldoc perl". If you have access to + the Internet, point your browser at http://www.perl.org/, the Perl Home Pa +ge. [download] `[~]$ uname -a CYGWIN_NT-6.1-WOW CA00064210 2.0.1(0.287/5/3) 2015-04-30 18:13 i686 Cy +gwin` [download] [~]$ perl -V Summary of my perl5 (revision 5 version 14 subversion 4) configuration +: Platform: osname=cygwin, osvers=1.7.35(0.28653), archname=cygwin-thread-mult +i-64int uname='cygwin_nt-6.3-wow cygwin 1.7.35(0.28653) 2015-02-16 13:18 i +686 cygwin ' config_args='-d -e -Dprefix=/usr -Dmksymlinks -Dusethreads -Darchn +ame=i686-cygwin-threads-64int -Dlibperl=cygperl5_14.dll -Dcc=gcc -Dld +=g++ -Accflags=-ggdb -O2 -pipe -Wimplicit-function-declaration -fdebu +g-prefix-map=/mnt/share/maint/perl.x86/build=/usr/src/debug/perl-5.14 +.4-3 -fdebug-prefix-map=/mnt/share/maint/perl.x86/src/perl-5.14.4=/us +r/src/debug/perl-5.14.4-3 -fwrapv' hint=recommended, useposix=true, d_sigaction=define useithreads=define, usemultiplicity=define useperlio=define, d_sfio=undef, uselargefiles=define, usesocks=und +ef use64bitint=define, use64bitall=undef, uselongdouble=undef usemymalloc=n, bincompat5005=undef Compiler: cc='gcc', ccflags ='-DPERL_USE_SAFE_PUTENV -U__STRICT_ANSI__ -ggdb + -O2 -pipe -Wimplicit-function-declaration -fdebug-prefix-map=/mnt/sh +are/maint/perl.x86/build=/usr/src/debug/perl-5.14.4-3 -fdebug-prefix- +map=/mnt/share/maint/perl.x86/src/perl-5.14.4=/usr/src/debug/perl-5.1 +4.4-3 -fwrapv -fno-strict-aliasing -fstack-protector', optimize='-O3', cppflags='-DPERL_USE_SAFE_PUTENV -U__STRICT_ANSI__ -ggdb -O2 -pipe + -Wimplicit-function-declaration -fdebug-prefix-map=/mnt/share/maint/ +perl.x86/build=/usr/src/debug/perl-5.14.4-3 -fdebug-prefix-map=/mnt/s +hare/maint/perl.x86/src/perl-5.14.4=/usr/src/debug/perl-5.14.4-3 -fwr +apv -fno-strict-aliasing -fstack-protector' ccversion='', gccversion='4.9.2', gccosandvers='' intsize=4, longsize=4, ptrsize=4, doublesize=8, byteorder=12345678 d_longlong=define, longlongsize=8, d_longdbl=define, longdblsize=1 +2 ivtype='long long', ivsize=8, nvtype='double', nvsize=8, Off_t='of +f_t', lseeksize=8 alignbytes=8, prototype=define Linker and Libraries: ld='g++', ldflags =' -Wl,--enable-auto-import -Wl,--export-all-sym +bols -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base -fstack-protector -L/usr/local/lib' libpth=/usr/local/lib /usr/lib /lib libs=-lgdbm -ldb -ldl -lcrypt -lgdbm_compat perllibs=-ldl -lcrypt libc=/usr/lib/libc.a, so=dll, useshrplib=true, libperl=cygperl5_14 +.dll gnulibc_version='' Dynamic Linking: dlsrc=dl_dlopen.xs, dlext=dll, d_dlsymun=undef, ccdlflags=' ' cccdlflags=' ', lddlflags=' --shared -Wl,--enable-auto-import -Wl +,--export-all-symbols -Wl,--enable-auto-image-base -L/usr/local/lib - +fstack-protector' Characteristics of this binary (from libperl): Compile-time options: MULTIPLICITY PERL_DONT_CREATE_GVSV PERL_IMPLICIT_CONTEXT PERL_PRESERVE_IVUV PERL_USE_SAFE_PUTENV USE_64_BIT_INT USE_ITHREA +DS USE_LARGE_FILES USE_PERLIO USE_PERL_ATOF USE_REENTRANT_API Locally applied patches: rurban/0c612ce82 Fix building static extensions on cygw +in, -UUSEIMPORTLIB perl.cygwin_autorebase Rebase DLL after building (skip for cy +gport builds) v5.14.0-RC2-6-gfc6f691 skip testing cygwin utf8 readdir() wit +h Win32 ANSI API v5.14.0-RC2-7-g3877b86 Fix test 50 on cygwin: \WINDOWS v5.14.0-RC2-10-gd22b5bd revert +x global.sym from 3691eaa79cc6 +a v5.15.0-579-g8375c93 Export store_cop_label for the perl co +mpiler v5.15.3-232-g1bac5ec sv.c: S_anonymise_cv_maybe UTF8 cleanu +p. v5.15.7-75-g803e389 CYG17 utf8 paths v5.15.7-302-g5bc802d Revise perlcygwin.pod for cygwin-1.7 v5.15.7-303-g286f819 add Cygwin::sync_winenv [perl #110190] v5.19.8-494-g6cc44f6 avoid a "FILE" name conflict with cygw +in's wchar.h v5.19.8-496-g3383030 [perl #120936] op/taint.t handling of +no ipcsysv on cygwin v5.19.8-509-g288d0d9 cygwin doesn't implement $^E (except a +s a read of $!) v5.21.4-548-g860874c wrap the failing call_checker test in +an eval and TODO it Built under cygwin Compiled at Feb 17 2015 21:43:25 @INC: /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.14/i686-cygwin-threads-64int /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.14 /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.14/i686-cygwin-threads-64int /usr/lib/perl5/vendor_perl/5.14 /usr/lib/perl5/5.14/i686-cygwin-threads-64int /usr/lib/perl5/5.14 . [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^4: CPAN Installation of Perl Packages Fails by afoken (Chancellor) on Jun 22, 2017 at 20:14 UTC
Re^5: CPAN Installation of Perl Packages Fails by dasgar (Priest) on Jun 22, 2017 at 21:24 UTC
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