ARiccela has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

I have a very interesting problem... Our Linux box was rebuilt and Perl was re-installed. I am now trying to install the Perl modules our app needs via CPAN. I was not quite awake when I fired up the CPAN shell as a user instead of as root user. First command I ran was 'install Bundle::CPAN'. But I wasn't in as root user, only as lowly user with limited permissions. I saw a lot of script fly by my eyes, most would test, but none would install because of the limited permissions. D'oh! So I switch to root user, open up CPAN shell, go to run 'install Bundle::CPAN' and, well... 
$ su root
Password:
# perl -MCPAN -e shell
Terminal does not support AddHistory.
cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v1.7602)
ReadLine support available (try 'install Bundle::CPAN')
cpan> install Bundle::CPAN
CPAN: Storable loaded ok
Going to read /root/.cpan/Metadata
Warning: Cannot install Bundle::CPAN, don't know what it is.
Try the command
    i /Bundle::CPAN/

to find objects with matching identifiers.
cpan> i /Bundle::CPAN/
No objects found of any type for argument /Bundle::CPAN/

cpan>

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Huh? Can anyone 'splain why this happened...? I have looked at the Metadata file and it looks ok, but then again I don't know what a *bad* Metadata file would look like. If anyone could shed some light on this I'd really appreciate this!

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Re: Cannot install CPAN (or any other modules) as root user!!!
by ikegami (Patriarch) on Jul 14, 2009 at 17:53 UTC
    Instead of running the entire process as root, why don't you configure cpan to install as root using one of the following: 
    o conf make_install_make_command    'su root -c make'
o conf mbuild_install_build_command 'su root -c ./Build'

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    o conf make_install_make_command    'sudo make'
o conf mbuild_install_build_command 'sudo ./Build'

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    o conf make_install_make_command    'sudo -u root make'
o conf mbuild_install_build_command 'sudo -u root ./Build'

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    It won't solve your problem so much as bypass it. And it's safer as a bonus!

    Note that the change isn't permanent unless you follow up using the following: 

    o conf commit

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    Update: Added instructions to use su/sudo with distros that use Module::Build (Build.PL).
    Update: Fixed to use correct configuration option name, as per afauno's reply.

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      I found my problem... as my user CPAN is pointing as a Metadata file path different than root user is. I've been staring at this terminal screen for too long. I will implement your method so when I forget to switch users I'll be OK. In fact, looks like I won't have to remember to switch users.
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      Thanks for the idea, it never occurred to me...

      Althought for the Module::Build part I suppose you meant mbuild_install_build_command instead of mbuild_arg

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