Editing Portal:FreeBSD,OpenBSD,etc (section)

=== OpenBSD ports and Perl modules ===

OpenBSD also supports Perl modules through its ports tree. Perl module packages normally appear with the `p5-` prefix, as in other BSD package systems. OpenBSD’s `portgen(1)` utility can generate ports for module ecosystems, and its documentation says that the `p5` type is used for Perl modules on CPAN.<ref>OpenBSD Project, “portgen(1),” https://man.openbsd.org/OpenBSD-current/man1/portgen.1, accessed July 3, 2026.</ref>

The OpenBSD ports framework also has explicit Perl support. The `port-modules(5)` manual page says that the OpenBSD ports framework is based on `bsd.port.mk`, and that optional port modules exist for mechanisms such as GNU autoconf and `perl5`. It further notes that setting `CONFIGURE_STYLE` can be enough to get `perl5` support, although `perl5` is actually a ports module.<ref>OpenBSD Project, “port-modules(5),” https://man.openbsd.org/port-modules, accessed July 3, 2026.</ref>

This means OpenBSD uses Perl in two layers:

* Perl is part of the base system.
* Additional Perl modules are managed through ports and packages.

That split is important. The base Perl is part of the operating system and is maintained with OpenBSD. CPAN modules and third-party Perl applications belong in the ports/packages layer.