Editing Portal:FreeBSD,OpenBSD,etc (section)

=== USES=perl5 and USE_PERL5 ===

For port maintainers, Perl support is handled through the ports framework. The Porter's Handbook says that when a port needs Perl support, it must set `USES=perl5`, with optional behavior controlled by `USE_PERL5`.<ref>FreeBSD Project, “FreeBSD Porter's Handbook,” https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/porters-handbook/book/, accessed July 3, 2026.</ref>

The handbook documents variables made available to Perl-using ports, including `PERL`, `PERL_VERSION`, `PERL_LEVEL`, `PERL_ARCH`, `PERL_PORT`, and `SITE_PERL`.<ref>FreeBSD Project, “FreeBSD Porter's Handbook,” https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/porters-handbook/book/, accessed July 3, 2026.</ref>

`USE_PERL5` can specify the phases in which Perl is needed, such as `extract`, `patch`, `build`, `run`, or `test`. It can also specify Perl build systems such as `configure` for `Makefile.PL`, `modbuild` for `Build.PL`, or `modbuildtiny` for `Module::Build::Tiny`.<ref>FreeBSD Project, “FreeBSD Porter's Handbook,” https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/porters-handbook/book/, accessed July 3, 2026.</ref>

For example, a port that needs Perl only to build can use:

<pre>
USES=        perl5
USE_PERL5=   build
</pre>

A typical CPAN-style module that uses `Makefile.PL` can use:

<pre>
USES=        perl5
USE_PERL5=   configure
</pre>

This ports-framework support is one reason Perl remains well integrated into FreeBSD even though it is no longer part of the base system.