Good grief, not again. Try perldoc -q hide or see perlfaq3: How can I hide the source for my Perl program? or use Super Search to find these nodes:

• obfuscating source code
• Concealing Perl Code
• simple encryption for perl files
• Protect source code
• Perl Obsfucate Or Encrypter
• Closing Perl Source
• Here is a commercial obfuscator
• perl2exe - no more secrets
• Protecting perl source code
• Why is it bad to hide the source?
• Source Filters
• Hiding your Script
• Compiling Perl

References Added Later

• Re^3: Code hiding in Perl by afoken (2015) - clearly describes how you can always decrypt the encrypted code (e.g. via the debugger)

• Encrypting source code :( by bliako (2018)
• Encrypting Source Filter by kschwab (2018)
• PAR::Filter::Crypto Fails by cmv (2023)

• APPerl: "osname=cosmo" problem by kcott (2023)

• Uncool Use Of Perl: perl2exe. decompile quick steps by shmem (2009)
• compile Plx /pl
• Hide perl code
• Protection for Perl Scripts
• Perl 'executable'
• Encrypt perl script
• PAR (pp) on lots of standalone scripts
• News regarding compiled commercial deployment of perl based apps?

• Encrypt a Perl Code
• Password Protect a Perl Script
• How to hide the Contents in script
• Perl to executable without releasing source code?
• Code hiding in Perl
• How can a script use a password without making the password visible?

• Production obfuscation by linxdev (2012)
• Re: Protection for Perl Scripts
• Re^2: Where should I have configuration information in a file or database
• Can you prevent MO=Deparse
• Decompile Perl2EXE back to original source
• PerlApp decompile?
• A real challenge

• How to make parts of my code compiled/encryptet or obfuscated (possible in perl?)
• hide code
• CryPerl.

• hide perl script by harangzsolt33 (2018)
• decode a file by 3N3RGY (2022)

• Acme Bleach by sameerperl (2008)
• Acme Enc by sameerperl (2008)

See Also

• Security through obscurity (wikipedia)
• Obfuscation (Software) (wikipedia)
• Code morphing (wikipedia)

• Re: Some Help for a Report About Perl (Perl Culture and History References)
• Re^3: Stupidest Prime Number detector ever!! (Acme Modules)
• Re^5: Choosing the right module (Acme::EyeDrops used in production)

Self-contained executables

• Re: Self contained Perl executables by Corion (2018) - mentions PAR::Packer, App::Staticperl and App::FatPacker
• PAR::Packer - originally by Audrey Tang

Actually Portable Perl

• Perl is Actually Portable by Computoid aka Gavin Hayes
• APPPerl by Computoid aka Gavin Hayes
• Perl::Dist::APPerl on CPAN

• Perl::Dist::APPerl - Actually Portable Perl by anonymonk (2023)
• Newest Perl on Win without ActiveState or Strawberry by LanX (2023)
• APPerl tutorial problem: default_script by anonymonk (2023)

• How to determine if 'strict' is enabled by kcott (June 7 2023)
• APPerl: "osname=cosmo" problem by kcott (June 8 2023)

• Cosmopolitan Libc - Cosmopolitan Libc makes C a build-once run-anywhere language, by jart aka Justine Tunney (you've effectively created your own operating system which happens to run on all the existing ones as well)
• Cosmopolitan Libc on github
• Actually Portable Executable blog post by Justine Tunney

• Hardware virtualization (wikipedia)
• Application virtualization (wikipedia)

Updated: many extra references were added long after the original reply was made.