It's easy to install custom perl and modules, however I've historically had trouble keeping the various configuration settings straight to avoid conflicts. I've never had good luck mixing Fink and/or MacPorts with a cpan installation. I prefer installing cpan to my "/opt" directory and building non-CPAN perl manually with: 
 ./Build install --install_base /opt/local/

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my bashrc contains: 
export PERL5LIB="/opt/local/lib/perl5:/opt/local/lib/perl5/site_perl:/
+opt/local/lib/perl5/darwin-thread-multi-2level:/opt/local/lib/perl5/a
+uto"

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FWIW here's my MyConfig.pm 
$CPAN::Config = {
  'auto_commit' => q[1],
  'build_cache' => q[20],
  'build_dir' => q[/Users/my_username/.cpan/build],
  'cache_metadata' => q[1],
  'commandnumber_in_prompt' => q[1],
  'cpan_home' => q[/Users/my_username/.cpan],
  'dontload_hash' => {  },
  'ftp' => q[/usr/bin/ftp],
  'ftp_passive' => q[1],
  'ftp_proxy' => q[],
  'getcwd' => q[cwd],
  'gpg' => q[/opt/local/bin/gpg],
  'gzip' => q[/usr/bin/gzip],
  'histfile' => q[/Users/my_username/.cpan/histfile],
  'histsize' => q[500],
  'http_proxy' => q[],
  'inactivity_timeout' => q[0],
  'index_expire' => q[1],
  'inhibit_startup_message' => q[0],
  'keep_source_where' => q[/Users/my_username/.cpan/sources],
  'lynx' => q[/usr/bin/lynx],
  'make' => q[/usr/bin/make],
  'make_arg' => q[],
  'make_install_arg' => q[],
  'make_install_make_command' => q[/usr/bin/make],
  'makepl_arg' => q[PREFIX=/opt/local SITELIBEXP=/opt/local/lib/perl5 
+LIB=/opt/local/lib/perl5 INSTALLMAN1DIR=/opt/local/man/man1 INSTALLMA
+N3DIR=/opt/local/man/man3 INSTALLSITEMAN1DIR=/opt/local/man/man1 INST
+ALLSITEMAN3DIR=/opt/local/man/man3 INSTALLBIN=/opt/local/bin INSTALLS
+CRIPT=/opt/local/bin],
  'mbuild_arg' => q[],
  'mbuild_install_arg' => q[--install_base /opt/local --uninst 1],
  'mbuild_install_build_command' => q[./Build],
  'mbuildpl_arg' => q[--install_base /opt/local --lib /opt/local/lib/p
+erl5 --installman1dir /opt/local/man/man1 --installman3dir /opt/local
+/man/man3 --installscript /opt/local/bin --installbin /opt/local/bin]
+,
  'ncftpget' => q[/usr/bin/ncftpget],
  'no_proxy' => q[],
  'pager' => q[/usr/bin/less],
  'prerequisites_policy' => q[ask],
  'scan_cache' => q[atstart],
  'shell' => q[/bin/bash],
  'show_upload_date' => q[0],
  'tar' => q[/usr/bin/tar],
  'term_is_latin' => q[0],
  'term_ornaments' => q[1],
  'unzip' => q[/usr/bin/unzip],
  'urllist' => [q[ftp://cpan.cs.utah.edu/pub/CPAN/], q[ftp://mirror.si
+t.wisc.edu/pub/CPAN/], q[ftp://osl.uoregon.edu/CPAN/], q[ftp://cpan.h
+ostrack.net/pub/CPAN], q[ftp://ftp.ndlug.nd.edu/pub/perl/], q[ftp://m
+irrors.ibiblio.org/pub/mirrors/CPAN], q[http://cpan.llarian.net/], q[
+ftp://cpan.nas.nasa.gov/pub/perl/CPAN/], q[ftp://cpan.pair.com/pub/CP
+AN/], q[ftp://ftp.duke.edu/pub/perl/], q[ftp://ftp.cs.colorado.edu/pu
+b/perl/CPAN/], q[ftp://ftp.sunsite.utk.edu/pub/CPAN/], q[http://www.p
+erl.com/CPAN/]],
  'use_sqlite' => q[0],
  'wget' => q[/usr/bin/wget],
};
1;
__END__

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I know have too many --install_base arguments, as I get an error message while installing from cpan (although it still installs). Not sure which ones need to go. Critiques welcome

In reply to Re: Customary Perl setup on Apple Mac OS X? by wrinkles
in thread Customary Perl setup on Apple Mac OS X? by Anonymous Monk

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