Software stewardship, together

Keep software alive.
Grow its next maintainers.

Useful software deserves a next generation of maintainers.
CPAN Rescue helps people learn stewardship by maintaining real Perl distributions, with review and bounded responsibility.

maintenance / first-stepCPAN RESCUE

# Start by running the tests.
$ perl -V
$ make test

01 Record your environment
02 Share your results
03 Learn through review

Small checks build reliable evidence.

No PAUSE account neededStart in 30–60 minutesOne contribution is welcome
What maintenance makes possible

Real work that keeps software useful.

Take responsibility. Validate carefully. Ship.
Small changes, backed by evidence others can trust.

01 / Stewardship

Two distributions.
A next maintainer for each.

CPAN maintenance permissions have been transferred, enabling continued testing, fixes, and responsible stewardship.

Log::Any::Adapter::Screen
Devel::CallChecker

Adoption and maintenance record
02 / A release delivered

From adopted code
to a maintenance release.

Devel::CallChecker 0.010 is on CPAN. Its tests, distribution artifact, metadata, and downstream compatibility were validated before publication.

Validation and release record
03 / Downstream impact

Look beyond the module
to the software relying on it.

At adoption, 81 CPAN distributions depended directly or indirectly on Devel::CallChecker. Direct dependents were tested before release, comparing the candidate with reviewed baselines to identify new regressions.

81 is a historical adoption snapshot, not a current count or a claim that all 81 distributions were tested.Downstream validation evidence
01 / In the workshop

Maintenance in progress.

Maintenance includes investigation, testing, and release validation. We publish what comes next and what is waiting on others.

01

MetaProvides family

Core validated · next baseline planned

The released core and historical master were tested on Perl 5.40 / 5.42. Next: compare the released Package distribution with master, then validate downstream impact.

Investigation and evidence #27
02

Log::Any::Adapter::Screen

Adopted · repository transfer pending

Log-level regression tests and a multi-Perl CI matrix are in place. Release 0.142 is being prepared; canonical repository metadata will be settled after the transfer.

Transfer and next steps #9
03

Devel::CallChecker

0.010 released

A low-level compatibility module used by XS code. Its tests, release artifact, metadata, and downstream compatibility were validated; post-release results are being monitored.

Maintenance release record #3
04

DBD::ODBC

Collaboration with current maintainer

Wesley Hinds has adopted the distribution. We are preparing focused DBIXS compatibility and CI contributions that respect his maintenance direction.

Collaboration status #25
05

Dist::CheckConflicts

Permissions and upstream review pending

Awaiting review of upstream PR #13 and a response to the adoption/co-maintenance request. After feedback, we will confirm permissions and establish a conservative release baseline.

Maintenance status #1

Checked October 3, 2026. Based on the CPAN Rescue repository and the latest issue records. Visit GitHub for current progress.

02 / Your first contribution

Your first step
can be small.

You do not need release experience or a commitment to adopt a module. Running tests and leaving a reproducible record is a useful contribution that supports the next maintenance decision.

We are starting with one participant. Ask questions in the issue whenever you need help. Review and mentoring are part of the work.

First contributor guide
GOOD FIRST MAINTENANCE30–60 MIN

Run tests on modern Perl.
Record what you find.

Distribution: Log::Any::Adapter::Screen

  1. Comment on issue #37 to say you would like to try it
  2. Check out the source and run its test suite
  3. Share your OS, Perl version, commands, and results

No pull request or CPAN upload required.

Open your first task #37
03 / A path, not a ranking

Let responsibility grow with experience.

This is a path you can choose, not a ranking. Stopping at any stage is a valid contribution, with useful experience to take away.

01 / ExploreExplorer

Investigate the current state.
Reproduce a problem.

02 / ContributeContributor

Contribute tests, focused fixes,
or CI improvements.

03 / ValidateRelease Contributor

Validate artifacts and downstreams.
Help prepare a release.

04 / ShareCo-maintainer

Work with an experienced maintainer.
Share ongoing responsibility.

05 / StewardMaintainer / Steward

Maintain the distribution.
Hand stewardship to the next person.

Understand before changing.

Preserve existing APIs and behavior through small, reviewable changes. Distinguish pre-existing failures from regressions, and scale downstream validation to the impact of each distribution.

Responsibility, review, and handoff policy

Fund the capacity to continue.

We are exploring funding and sponsorship to reduce reliance on one volunteer. Support should fund testing, review, and maintenance capacity while preserving maintainer-led technical decisions.

Exploring sustainable maintenance #40
04 / Field notes

Notes from the work.

What we ran. What we verified.
Evidence others can build on.

All activity records

Modern-Perl baseline established for MetaProvides core

Release 2.002004 and historical master PASS on Perl 5.40.5 / 5.42.3. A dependency test problem was isolated, allowing validation without changing core behavior.

Read the validation results

Preparing the Log::Any::Adapter::Screen transfer

The existing fork was renamed to clear the repository name conflict. The 0.142 preparation branch is preserved while the upstream transfer is pending.

Read the transfer record

Devel::CallChecker 0.010 released to CPAN

Following adoption, baseline reconstruction, downstream testing, and artifact validation, a maintenance release was published under SHINGO.

Read the release record
Before you join

Questions before you join.

Do I need to be a Perl or CPAN expert?

The first task is for people who can run Perl in a terminal and know the basics of Git and GitHub. No CPAN release experience or PAUSE account is required. Ask in the issue if you are unsure.

Does joining mean a permanent maintenance commitment?

No. Completing one investigation or validation task and stopping there is a valid contribution. More responsibility depends on your choice and experience.

Does this extend beyond CPAN?

The current maintenance work and contributor tasks focus on Perl and CPAN. Learning through real maintenance, review, and handoff is an approach that can also support the wider open-source ecosystem.

Where can I find the latest progress?

The CPAN Rescue repository on GitHub is the source of truth. Issues record evidence, next steps, and blockers. This site is an overview as of October 3, 2026.