I wasn't able to figure out what is happening when cpan fails on File::ReadBackwards: I'm hoping someone will be able to see what the problem is. Tail of output from (inside cpan shell) `install File::ReadBackwards': [...] Running make test PERL_DL_NONLAZY=1 /usr/bin/perl5.8.8 "-MExtUtils::Command::MM" "-e" "test_harness(0, 'blib/lib', 'blib/arch')" t/*.t t/bw..............ok t/large_file......ok All tests successful. Files=2, Tests=173, 6 wallclock secs ( 0.08 usr 0.00 sys + 2.34 cusr 0.34 csys = 2.76 CPU) Result: PASS URI/File-ReadBackwards-1.04.tar.gz /usr/bin/make test -- OK Running make install Prepending %BUILDDIR%/File-ReadBackwards-1.04-w8D8Le/blib/arch %BUILDDIR%/File-ReadBackwards-1.04-w8D8Le/blib/lib %BUILDDIR%/FastGlob-1.3-rwXmzT/blib/arch %BUILDDIR%/FastGlob-1.3-rwXmzT/blib/lib %BUILDDIR%/FLV-Info-0.24-ECal3c/blib/arch %BUILDDIR%/FLV-Info-0.24-ECal3c/blib/lib %BUILDDIR%/CPAN-DistnameInfo-0.08-GgzLym/blib/arch %BUILDDIR%/CPAN-DistnameInfo-0.08-GgzLym/blib/lib %BUILDDIR%/DBD-SQLite-1.25-q3OPud/blib/arch %BUILDDIR%/DBD-SQLite-1.25-q3OPud/blib/lib %BUILDDIR%/ExtUtils-MakeMaker-6.52-JcOohe/blib/arch %BUILDDIR%/ExtUtils-MakeMaker-6.52-JcOohe/blib/lib to PERL5LIB; %BUILDDIR%=/usr/local/cpan/build for 'install' Installing /usr/local/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/File/ReadBackwards.pm Installing /usr/local/share/man/man3/File::ReadBackwards.3pm Appending installation info to /usr/local/lib/perl5/5.8.8/i686-linux/perllocal.pod make: *** No rule to make target `1'. Stop. URI/File-ReadBackwards-1.04.tar.gz /usr/bin/make install 1 -- NOT OK Failed during this command: URI/File-ReadBackwards-1.04.tar.gz : install NOThread Next