I was trying to install a module in my own directory via cpan (tried with perl 5.16.3 on CentOS 7; perl 5.30.0 on FreeBSD 12) but failed because install process tried to install Text::Table and Text::Aligner dependencies in a system wide directory (/usr/local) not writable by me as a lowly non-root user.

I had checked that the right directory had been specified for both Build.PL & Makefile.PL. What am I missing in the CPAN configuration file? 

cpan[2]> o conf /make|build|install/
$CPAN::Config options from /home/parv/.cpan/CPAN/MyConfig.pm:

    build_cache        [100]
    build_dir          [/home/parv/.cpan/build]
    build_dir_reuse    [0]
    build_requires_install_policy [yes]
    cleanup_after_install undef
    make               [/usr/bin/make]
    make_arg           []
    make_install_arg   [PREFIX=/home/parv/test-perl5]
    make_install_make_command [/usr/bin/make]
    makepl_arg         [PREFIX=/home/parv/test-perl5]
    mbuild_arg         [--install_base /home/parv/test-perl5]
    mbuild_install_arg []
    mbuild_install_build_command [./Build]
    mbuildpl_arg       []
    prefer_installer   [MB]

[download]
# cpan client - FAILED on CentOS & FreeBSD.
.
.
.---- JETTERO/Term-ANSIColorx-ColorNicknames-2.7191.tar.gz ----
    Text::Table [requires]
Running install for module 'Text::Table'
.
.
.
Building Text-Table
  SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
  ./Build --install_base /home/parv/test-perl5 --prefix /home/parv/tes
+t-perl5 --install_base /home/parv/test-perl5 --prefix /home/parv/test
+-perl5 -- OK
Running Build test for SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
.
.
.
Result: PASS
  SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
  ./Build test -- OK
Running Build install for SHLOMIF/Text-Table-1.133.tar.gz
Building Text-Table
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+!!
ERROR: Can't create '/usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/Text'
mkdir /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/Text: Permission denied at /usr/l
+ocal/lib/perl5/5.30/ExtUtils/Install.pm line 489.

[download]
# Manually issued command - SUCCEEDED on FreeBSD (hadn't tried on Cent
+OS yet).
perl Build.PL --install_base /home/parv/test-perl5/ && ./Build && ./Bu
+ild test && ./Build install
Created MYMETA.yml and MYMETA.json
Creating new 'Build' script for 'Text-Table' version '1.133'
Building Text-Table
.
.
.
Result: PASS
Building Text-Table
Installing /home/parv/test-perl5/lib/perl5/Text/Table.pm
Installing /home/parv/test-perl5/man/man3/Text::Table.3

[download]

In reply to cpan client- install_base value not used to install Text::Table by Anonymous Monk

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