pvm

README

PVM - Perl Version Manager

A fast, cross-platform Perl development toolkit. Manages Perl installations, modules, and execution environments from a single Go binary.

Components

• PVM - Install, switch, and manage Perl versions
• PSC - Parse and analyze Perl source code
• PM - Install and manage CPAN modules
• PVX - Run Perl scripts in isolated environments

Installation

Quick Install

curl -fsSL https://pvm.tools/install.sh | sh

Installs to ~/.local/bin/pvm. Set PVM_INSTALL_DIR to change the location.

Then add shell integration to your profile:

# bash (~/.bashrc) or zsh (~/.zshrc)
eval "$(pvm init)"

# fish (~/.config/fish/config.fish)
pvm init | source

# PowerShell ($PROFILE)
pvm init | Invoke-Expression

From Source

Requires Go 1.24+. No C compiler or external tools needed.

git clone https://github.com/perigrin/pvm.git
cd pvm
make

Quick Start

# Install a Perl version
pvm install 5.40.2

# Switch to it
pvm use 5.40.2

# Set it as default
pvm global 5.40.2

# List installed versions
pvm versions

# Install a CPAN module
pm install Mojolicious

# Run a script
pvx script.pl

# Parse a Perl file
psc parse lib/MyModule.pm

Version Resolution

PVM resolves the active Perl version in this order:

1. PVM_PERL_VERSION environment variable
2. .perl-version file in current or parent directory
3. Global version set via pvm global
4. System Perl

This is compatible with plenv's .perl-version files. PVM can also detect and use Perl versions installed by plenv or perlbrew.

PSC - Perl Structural Checker

PSC provides tools for inspecting Perl source code using a pure-Go parser (no external dependencies).

# Display the AST of a Perl file
psc parse lib/MyModule.pm

# Show as S-expression
psc parse --format sexpr lib/MyModule.pm

# Analyze dependencies
psc analyze lib/

Configuration

Configuration uses TOML files following the XDG Base Directory spec:

• User: ~/.config/pvm/pvm.toml
• Project: .pvm/pvm.toml

All configuration is optional. PVM works out of the box with sensible defaults.

pvm config show       # Show current config
pvm config init       # Create default config

Architecture

Single Go binary with multiple entry points via symlink detection. Invoke as pvm, pvx, pm, or psc for component-specific behavior.

pvm symlinks create   # Create symlinks for all components
pvm symlinks verify   # Check symlinks exist

Building

make            # Build all four binaries
make test       # Run test suite
make clean      # Clean build artifacts
make cross-compile  # Build for all platforms

Pure Go with no CGO. Cross-compiles to Linux, macOS, and Windows without a C compiler.

Integration

PVM integrates with existing Perl version managers:

pvm import-from plenv      # Register plenv-installed Perls
pvm import-from perlbrew   # Register perlbrew-installed Perls

License

Artistic License 2.0