I was using Perl 5.16, but removed 5.16 and installed Perl 5.12.3 and still get the zone available error. The guide should be updated since the suggested Perl link takes you to a directory that does not have the 5.12 installer. I did eventually find the download link to 5.12.3 in the repository.
I know I can install the repack (and did successfully on a VM), but the fun and experience is building from scratch and learning from mistakes.
The repack is great and I commend your efforts.
Appreciate the responses!