---
name: "parl"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "perl-par-packer"
version: "1.064-6"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/parl"
---

# parl(1)

Binary PAR Loader

## NAME

parl - Binary PAR Loader

## SYNOPSIS

(Please see pp for convenient ways to make self-contained executables, scripts or PAR archives from perl programs.)

To make a *PAR distribution* from a CPAN module distribution:

```
    % parl -p                 # make a PAR dist under the current path
    % parl -p Foo-0.01        # assume unpacked CPAN dist in Foo-0.01/
```

To manipulate a *PAR distribution*:

```
    % parl -i Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par   # install
    % parl -i http://foo.com/Foo-0.01           # auto-appends archname + perlver
    % parl -i cpan://AUTRIJUS/PAR-0.74          # uses CPAN author directory
    % parl -u Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par   # uninstall
    % parl -s Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par   # sign
    % parl -v Foo-0.01-i386-freebsd-5.8.0.par   # verify
```

To use *Hello.pm* from *./foo.par*:

```
    % parl -A./foo.par -MHello
    % parl -A./foo -MHello      # the .par part is optional
```

Same thing, but search *foo.par* in the *@INC*;

```
    % parl -Ifoo.par -MHello
    % parl -Ifoo -MHello        # ditto
```

Run *test.pl* or *script/test.pl* from *foo.par*:

```
    % parl foo.par test.pl      # looks for 'main.pl' by default,
                                # otherwise run 'test.pl'
```

To make a self-containing executable containing a PAR file :

```
    % parl -O./foo foo.par
    % ./foo test.pl             # same as above
```

To embed the necessary non-core modules and shared objects for PAR's execution (like `"Zlib"`, `"IO"`, `"Cwd"`, etc), use the **-b** flag:

```
    % parl -b -O./foo foo.par
    % ./foo test.pl             # runs anywhere with core modules installed
```

If you also wish to embed *core* modules along, use the **-B** flag instead:

```
    % parl -B -O./foo foo.par
    % ./foo test.pl             # runs anywhere with the perl interpreter
```

This is particularly useful when making stand-alone binary executables; see pp for details.

## DESCRIPTION

This stand-alone command offers roughly the same feature as `"perl` `-MPAR"`, except that it takes the pre-loaded *.par* files via `"-Afoo.par"` instead of `"-MPAR=foo.par"`.

Additionally, it lets you convert a CPAN distribution to a PAR distribution, as well as manipulate such distributions.  For more information about PAR distributions, see PAR::Dist.

You can use it to run *.par* files:

```
    # runs script/run.pl in archive, uses its lib/* as libraries
    % parl myapp.par run.pl     # runs run.pl or script/run.pl in myapp.par
    % parl otherapp.pl          # also runs normal perl scripts
```

However, if the *.par* archive contains either *main.pl* or *script/main.pl*, it is used instead:

```
    % parl myapp.par run.pl     # runs main.pl, with 'run.pl' as @ARGV
```

Finally, the `"-O"` option makes a stand-alone binary executable from a PAR file:

```
    % parl -B -Omyapp myapp.par
    % ./myapp                   # run it anywhere without perl binaries
```

With the `"--par-options"` flag, generated binaries can act as `"parl"` to pack new binaries:

```
    % ./myapp --par-options -Omyap2 myapp.par   # identical to ./myapp
    % ./myapp --par-options -Omyap3 myap3.par   # now with different PAR
```

For an explanation of stand-alone executable format, please see par.pl.

## SEE ALSO

PAR, PAR::Dist, par.pl, pp

## AUTHORS

Audrey Tang \<cpan@audreyt.org\>

You can write to the mailing list at \<par@perl.org\>, or send an empty mail to \<par-subscribe@perl.org\> to participate in the discussion. Archives of the mailing list are available at \<https://www.mail-archive.com/par@perl.org/\> or \<https://groups.google.com/g/perl.par\>.

Please submit bug reports to \<https://github.com/rschupp/PAR-Packer/issues\>.

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright 2002-2009 by Audrey Tang \<cpan@audreyt.org\>.

Neither this program nor the associated pp program impose any licensing restrictions on files generated by their execution, in accordance with the 8th article of the Artistic License:

```
    "Aggregation of this Package with a commercial distribution is
    always permitted provided that the use of this Package is embedded;
    that is, when no overt attempt is made to make this Package's
    interfaces visible to the end user of the commercial distribution.
    Such use shall not be construed as a distribution of this Package."
```

Therefore, you are absolutely free to place any license on the resulting executable, as long as the packed 3rd-party libraries are also available under the Artistic License.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.

See *LICENSE*.