That delays the version check to run-time,

You know how to execute code at compile-time.

That would be an argument against the entire use 5.XXX; syntax;

There may be the premise for an argument, but there's no an argument. Could you actually state this argument? I can't guess what it could be.

it also assumes there's only one Perl version on the system

No it doesn't because each has its own lib directory.

Before you mention PERL5LIB or local::lib, consider that they already break when you use them with more than one version of Perl. (PERL5LIB breaks if the directory was built using the suggested INSTALL_BASE, and local::lib breaks because it uses INSTALL_BASE.)

Not to mention many scripts don't come with an installation script.

So? Are you trying to say that no scripts should come with an installation script?

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