From the package I see CURSES_CFLAGS: -I and -D options needed at compile time for access to the basic Curses library (libcurses). CURSES_LDFLAGS: -L and -l options needed at link time for access to the basic Curses library (libcurses). (this really must be only -L and -l options; Makefile.PL parses it. Furthermore, there can't be any space between the -L or -l and its value). CURSES_PANEL_CFLAGS CURSES_PANEL_LDFLAGS CURSES_MENU_CFLAGS CURSES_MENU_LDFLAGS CURSES_FORM_CFLAGS CURSES_FORM_LDFLAGS ... that is that something like (for libncursesw with "w" for wide) CURSES_CFLAGS="$(pkg-config --cflags ncursesw)" CURSES_LDFLAGS="$(pkg-config --libs ncursesw)" CURSES_PANEL_CFLAGS="$(pkg-config --cflags panelw)" CURSES_PANEL_LDFLAGS="$(pkg-config --libs panelw)" CURSES_MENU_CFLAGS="$(pkg-config --cflags menuw)" CURSES_MENU_LDFLAGS="$(pkg-config --libs menuw)" CURSES_FORM_CFLAGS="$(pkg-config --cflags formw)" CURSES_FORM_LDFLAGS="$(pkg-config --libs formw)" export ${!CURSES_*} for the very first lines in the %build section might help here