If you're sharing a server, the first time you use CPAN you may find that it's already configured for the root account, in which case you'll get a load of errors about incorrect permissions to install anything. You can either try and get the root password, or (more likely) set up your own CPAN install. It's straightforward, if just a bit tedius.
mkdir -p ~/.cpan/CPAN cp /usr/lib/perl5/5.8.5/CPAN/Config.pm ~/.cpan/CPAN/MyConfig.pm perl -p -i -e 's!/root/!/home/michael/!g' ~/.cpan/CPAN/MyConfig.pm perl -MCPAN -eshell cpan> o conf makepl_arg "LIB=/home/michael/perl INSTALLMAN1DIR=/home/michael/perl/man1 INSTALLMAN3DIR=/home/michael/perl/man3" cpan> o conf commit cpan> install Some::Thing