I write with a question about using CPAN on my work computer. I fear something has changed but I am not sure what that is or what to do about it other than to seek your guidance.
The work computer is a server running an old version of Red Hat Linux. I reach the server from a Windows box through use of MobaXterm using a PEM key; so, I do not have a password.
I have access to 'root' by loging in not as myself but as ec2-user and then I can become root with "sudo su -".
With that backdrop... here is the situation.
I have used CPAN very often and have many modules installed.
Today, as jbuckler, I executed the command 'cpan' and asked to install a module. CPAN ran through the normal installation stuff and then asked me to enter a password. Without a password, the installation quits.
Figuring you will want to see what is happening, I am providing the session.
bash> cpan
Terminal does not support AddHistory.
cpan shell -- CPAN exploration and modules installation (v1,9800)
Enter "h' for help.
cpan[1]> install App::cpanninus
Reading '/home/jbuckler/.cpan/Metadata'
Database was generated on Thu, 08 May 2025 12:29:01 GMT
Running install for module 'App::cpanminus'
Running make for M/M1/MIYAGAAA/App-cpanminus-1.7048,tar,gz
Checksum for /home/jbuckler/.cpan/sources/authors/id/M/MI/MIYAGAWA/App- cpanminus-1.7048.tar.gz ok
Scanning cache /home/jbuckler/.cpan/build for sizes
*------DONE
DEL (1/4): /home/jbuckler/.cpan/build/Module-CoreList-5.20180626-1yT83K
DEL (2/4): /home/jbuckler/.cpan/build/Module-Load-Conditional-0.68-0mELIG
DEL (3/4): /home/jbuckler/.cpan/build/IPC-Cmd-1.02-MG_XLX
DEL (4/4): /home/jbuckler/.cpan/build/ExtUtils-CBuilder-0.280230-njU8p2
CPAN.pm: Building M/MI/MIYAGAWA/App-cpanminus-1.7048,tar.gz
Checking if your kit is complete...
Looks good
Writing Makefile for App::cpanminus
Could not read metadata file. Falling back to other methods to determine prerequisites
cp lib/App/cpanminus/fatscript.pm blib/lib/App/cpanminus/fatscript.pm
cp lib/App/cpanminus.pm blib/lib/App/cpanminus.pm
cp bin/cpanm blib/script/cpanm
/usr/bin/perl -MExtUtilst:MY -e 'MY->fixin(shift)' -- blib/script/cpanm
Manifying blib/man1/cpanm.1
Manifying blib/man3/App::cpanminus::fatscript.3pm
Manifying blib/man3/App::cpanminus.3pm
MIYAGAWA/App-cpanminus-1.7048.tar.gz
/usr/bin/make -- 0K
'YAML' not installed, will not store persistent state
Running make test
PERL_DL_NONLAZY=1 /usr/bin/perl "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" "-e" "test_harness(0, 'blib/lib', 'blib/arch')" t/*,t
t/happy_cpantesters.t .. 1/1 # App::cpanminus/1.7048
t/happy_cpantesters.t .. ok
All tests successful.
Files=1. Tests=1, 1 wallclock secs ( 0.01 usr 0.00 sys + 0.05 cusr 0.01 csys = 0.07 CPU)
Result: PASS
MIYAGAWA/App-cpanminus-1.7048,tar.gz
/usr/bin/make test -- 0K
Running make install
[sudo] password for jbuckler:
Sorry. try again.
[sudo] password for jbuckler:
Sorry. try again,
[sudo] password for jbuckler:
sudo: 3 incorrect password attempts
MIYAGAWA/App-cpanminus-1.7048.tar.gz
/usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/make instal -- NOT OK
Failed during this command:
MIYAGANA/App-cpanminus-1.7048.tar.gz : install NO
cpan[2]> q
Terminal does not support GetHistory.
Lockfile removed,
bash>
so here I am stuck because I have no password
Again for completeness, I am showing permissions on make and that they have not changed since 2016 and yet I have installed many many CPAN modules
bash> ls -ltr /usr/bin/nakel
-rwxr-xr-x. 1 root root 182768 Jul 7 2016 /usr/bin/make*
bash>
You might say that I should just download the module and install it manually but there are other modules I would like to install and they have complicated dependencies so installation through CPAN is more desirable.
Hoping you can provide some guidance so I can install modules again. Thank you
I looked at file permissions but could not detect any meaningful information so I decided to ask for help before deleting .cpan.
