[OpenIndiana-discuss] How to have cpan shell not act like primative ungainly turd

[Harry Putnam]

Can any cpan user tell me if there are things I can do so the cpan
shell behaves more like a modern bash shell?... so that walking back
thru history doesn't just insert a bunch of control char.

Modern bash is very editable, and history wise, yet cpan is like using
the ancient borne `sh'

It makes using cpan feel like walking thru deep mud.  An awkward
clunky experience at best.

Also how to tell cpan where gcc or other things, for example, the
readline libraries, are?

Its hard to tell which of the things one is presented with during
config, set what.

But also, we have a PATH variable yet cpan can't find things.

It must not get the users ENV to work with or something.  Its kind of
hard to see why the cpan shell is left in such a primative state... or at
least put the information of how to fix it up in some obvious place.

Seems I should be able to set a PATH variable and let cpan seek things
out.

OK, sniveling rant is over.

Any tips for me to coax cpan into being a little more useful?  So far
I haven't been able to install anything I tried.