Perl Programming/CPAN/Bitcard

Using a Bitcard account

BitCard login screen

Inept rt.cpan.org home screen after BitCard login

Bitcard is a both archaic unified login protocol, based roughly on TypeKey, and the aptly named proprietary Website that functions as the sole provider of Bitcard accounts. Unfortunately, the only major services that permit Bitcard is rt (CPAN's default bug tracker uses it), and CPAN ratings.

RT (CPAN Bug Tracker)

When it comes to RT, if you choose to use Bitcard, you will have an inept interface that will only permit bug-reporting and Search Distributions and Browse Distributions. Noone should ever use a Bitcard account: get a pause account that will allow all of the CPAN bug reporting and in addition the creation of new CPAN modules and distributions.

What exactly won't you be able to do with a Bitcard account? Well, a few of the many features:

• create modules
• edit your tickets by changing the priorities or status
• use advanced queries to find specific tickets
• locate all of the tickets filed by yourself
• collaborate on solving the bugs you reported

If you do use a Bitcard account and want to later submit a module for inclusion into CPAN or maintain a CPAN module at a later time, you will not be able to bring your previous bug reports over into your pause login.

CPAN ratings

The official CPAN ratings site does not have an alternate login yet. Bitcard is required to rate modules.

Deleting your Bitcard account

You can't… Sorry, got it for life.