carton

Install dependencies from cpanfile

$ carton install

$ carton update

$ carton exec [perl script.pl]

$ carton exec plackup [app.psgi]

$ carton list

$ carton install --deployment

$ carton bundle

carton command [options]

Carton is a Perl module dependency manager, similar to Bundler for Ruby or npm for Node.js. It manages project-specific dependencies defined in a cpanfile, installing them into a local directory isolated from the system Perl.
Dependencies are specified in a cpanfile using a simple DSL. Running carton install creates a cpanfile.snapshot that locks exact versions, ensuring reproducible installations across environments.
The carton exec command runs programs with the correct library paths set, avoiding conflicts with system Perl modules. This enables multiple projects with different dependency versions to coexist on the same system.

install

Install dependencies specified in cpanfile.

Update dependencies to latest versions.

Execute command with local lib paths.

List installed modules.

Bundle dependencies into vendor/cache.

Verify dependencies are satisfied.

Display dependency tree.

Install exact versions from cpanfile.snapshot.

Install from cached archives (offline).

Specify local lib directory (default: local/).

Carton requires a cpanfile; it cannot automatically detect dependencies. Large dependency trees may take significant time to resolve and install. XS modules require compilation tools. The snapshot format is not compatible between major Carton versions.

Carton was created by Tatsuhiko Miyagawa (also creator of Plack/PSGI and cpanm) and released in 2011. It was inspired by Bundler for Ruby and addressed the long-standing problem of managing Perl dependencies per-project rather than system-wide. The tool became an essential part of modern Perl development workflows.

cpanm(1), cpan(1), plackup(1)