Here is an excerpt from the messages I got following Aristotle's suggestion:

    [jimk] $ sudo -i cpan

    cpan> install File::pushd
[download]

(snip)

    Fetching with Net::FTP:
      ftp://ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz
    Couldn't fetch 01mailrc.txt.gz from ftp.perl.org
    
    Trying with "/usr/bin/curl -L" to get
        ftp://ftp.perl.org/pub/CPAN/authors/01mailrc.txt.gz
      % Total    % Received % Xferd  Average Speed          Time      
+       Curr.
                                     Dload  Upload Total    Current  L
+eft    Speed
    100  107k  100  107k    0     0  37541      0  0:00:02  0:00:02  0
+:00:00 66261
[download]

It's interesting to note that this is the first time in my use of CPAN.pm or the shell that it used curl to fetch the needed files. I was not previously acquainted with this utility, so I suspect it's a recent addition to the module's functionality.

(snip use of curl to get other prerequisites)

    CPAN: Module::Signature loaded ok
    gpg: new configuration file `/var/root/.gnupg/gpg.conf' created
    gpg: WARNING: options in `/var/root/.gnupg/gpg.conf' are not yet a
+ctive during this run
    gpg: Signature made Fri Jan 27 03:47:39 2006 EST using DSA key ID 
+450F89EC
    gpg: Can't check signature: public key not found
    Signature for /var/root/.cpan/sources/authors/id/D/DA/DAGOLDEN/CHE
+CKSUMS ok
    Checksum for /var/root/.cpan/sources/authors/id/D/DA/DAGOLDEN/File
+-pushd-0.30.tar.gz ok
[download]

It's interesting that CPAN.pm here created a directory tree, /var/root/.gnupg, which did'nt previously exist. As a matter of fact, it created two directory trees, that and /var/root/.cpan. I'm not surprised at the latter, but I am at the former.

Can anyone tell me if I should take any action in response to those gpg warnings?

From here on down, everything DWIMmed. (snip unpacking of File-pushd-0.30)

    Files=1, Tests=34,  1 wallclock secs ( 0.32 cusr +  0.30 csys =  0
+.62 CPU)
      /usr/bin/make test -- OK
    Running make install
    Installing /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.7/File/pushd.pm
    Installing /usr/local/man/man3/File::pushd.3
    Writing /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.7/darwin-2level/auto/Fi
+le/pushd/.packlist
    Appending installation info to /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.8.7/darwin-2
+level/perllocal.pod
      /usr/bin/make install  -- OK
[download]

So it seems like sudo -i cpan is the way to go! Thanks.

jimk