As you might need to install additional perl modules to build OOo 2.0 or to use the tinderbox script this document describes briefly how to access and use CPAN.
CPAN is the Comprehensive Perl Archive Network, a large collection of Perl software and documentation. You can begin exploring from either http://www.cpan.org/, http://www.perl.com/CPAN/ or any of the mirrors listed at http://www.cpan.org/SITES.html and http://mirror.cpan.org/.
Note that CPAN is also the name of a Perl module, CPAN.pm, which is used to download and install Perl software from the CPAN archive.
This page tells you only enough to use this Perl module to install additional perl modules. You may find the documentation for it by using perldoc CPAN via the command line or on the web at http://search.cpan.org/author/JHI/perl-5.8.0/lib/CPAN.pm.
If you are behind a firewall set FTP_PASSIVE to 1.
$ export FTP_PASSIVE="1"
Start the CPAN module.
$ perl -MCPAN -e shell
If this is your first time you use this module you have to answer some questions of this module. Just follow the directions on your screen.
For example, if you want to install the Mail::Sender module do it like:
cpan> install Mail::Sender
Typing help gets you some online help.
cpan> help
And typing quit quits the module.
cpan> quit
This is everything you need to know to use the CPAN module.
Need help ? please do mail me, at michael@ximian.com or quetschke@scytek.de