NAME

local::lib - create and use a local lib/ for perl modules with PERL5LIB

SYNOPSIS

In code -

  use local::lib; # sets up a local lib at ~/perl5

  use local::lib '~/foo'; # same, but ~/foo

  # Or...
  use FindBin;
  use local::lib "$FindBin::Bin/../support";  # app-local support library

From the shell -

  # Install LWP and it's missing dependencies to the 'my_lwp' directory
  perl -MCPAN -Mlocal::lib=my_lwp -e 'CPAN::install(LWP)'

  # Install LWP and *all non-core* dependencies to the 'my_lwp' directory 
  perl -MCPAN -Mlocal::lib=--self-contained,my_lwp -e 'CPAN::install(LWP)'

  # Just print out useful shell commands
  $ perl -Mlocal::lib
  export MODULEBUILDRC=/home/username/perl/.modulebuildrc
  export PERL_MM_OPT='INSTALL_BASE=/home/username/perl'
  export PERL5LIB='/home/username/perl/lib/perl5:/home/username/perl/lib/perl5/i386-linux'
  export PATH="/home/username/perl/bin:$PATH"

To bootstrap if you don't have local::lib itself installed -

  <download local::lib tarball from CPAN, unpack and cd into dir>

  $ perl Makefile.PL --bootstrap
  $ make test && make install

  $ echo 'eval $(perl -I$HOME/perl5/lib/perl5 -Mlocal::lib)' >>~/.bashrc

  # Or for C shells...

  $ /bin/csh
  % echo $SHELL
  /bin/csh
  % perl -I$HOME/perl5/lib/perl5 -Mlocal::lib >> ~/.cshrc

You can also pass --boostrap=~/foo to get a different location (adjust the bashrc / cshrc line appropriately)

DESCRIPTION

This module provides a quick, convenient way of bootstrapping a user-local Perl module library located within the user's home directory. It also constructs and prints out for the user the list of environment variables using the syntax appropriate for the user's current shell (as specified by the SHELL environment variable), suitable for directly adding to one's shell configuration file.

More generally, local::lib allows for the bootstrapping and usage of a directory containing Perl modules outside of Perl's @INC. This makes it easier to ship an application with an app-specific copy of a Perl module, or collection of modules. Useful in cases like when an upstream maintainer hasn't applied a patch to a module of theirs that you need for your application.

On import, local::lib sets the following environment variables to appropriate values:

MODULEBUILDRC

PERL_MM_OPT

PERL5LIB

PATH

PATH is appended to, rather than clobbered.

These values are then available for reference by any code after import.

A WARNING ABOUT UNINST=1

Be careful about using local::lib in combination with "make install UNINST=1". The idea of this feature is that will uninstall an old version of a module before installing a new one. However it lacks a safety check that the old version and the new version will go in the same directory. Used in combination with local::lib, you can potentially delete a globally accessible version of a module while installing the new version in a local place. Only combine "make install UNINST=1" and local::lib if you understand these possible consequences.

LIMITATIONS

Rather basic shell detection. Right now anything with csh in its name is assumed to be a C shell or something compatible, and everything else is assumed to be Bourne. If the SHELL environment variable is not set, a Bourne-compatible shell is assumed.

Bootstrap is a hack and will use CPAN.pm for ExtUtils::MakeMaker even if you have CPANPLUS installed.

Kills any existing PERL5LIB, PERL_MM_OPT or MODULEBUILDRC.

Should probably auto-fixup CPAN config if not already done.

Patches very much welcome for any of the above.

ENVIRONMENT

SHELL

local::lib looks at the user's SHELL environment variable when printing out commands to add to the shell configuration file.

AUTHOR

Matt S Trout <mst@shadowcat.co.uk> http://www.shadowcat.co.uk/

auto_install fixes kindly sponsored by http://www.takkle.com/

CONTRIBUTORS

Patches to correctly output commands for csh style shells, as well as some documentation additions, contributed by Christopher Nehren <apeiron@cpan.org>.

'--self-contained' feature contributed by Mark Stosberg <mark@summersault.com>.

LICENSE

This library is free software under the same license as perl itself

cpanm local::lib

perl -MCPAN -e shell
install local::lib