in reply to Installing CPAN module using cpan shell

Not a direct answer to your question, cpan shell is always better because it resolves dependencies, but generally i will do like this.
whenever you install a module you have to give the prefix as your desired directory path
for example,
assuming I am downloading warnings::unused from
http://search.cpan.org/CPAN/authors/id/G/GF/GFUJI/warnings-unused-0.04.tar.gz
go to the downloaded path and untar the tar ball and run perl Makefile.PL prefix=$HOME make make install make test make clean add the installed directory in $PATH variable man warnings::unused you will get the man page of it but for using this module in your perl program you have to either you -I option of perl interpreter or use lib or add in @INC it will just work fine you can have any number of modules downloaded like this and keep in yo +ur home directory, as long as you have disk space and internet.

Vivek
-- In accordance with the prarabdha of each, the One whose function it is to ordain makes each to act. What will not happen will never happen, whatever effort one may put forth. And what will happen will not fail to happen, however much one may seek to prevent it. This is certain. The part of wisdom therefore is to stay quiet.