The tests in this directory require a working database, as opposed to the tests in t/, which simply test the code without a working installation. Some of the tests may modify your current working installation, even if only temporarily. To run the tests that modify your database, set the environment variable BZ_WRITE_TESTS to 1. Some tests also take additional, optional arguments. You can pass arguments to tests like: prove xt/search.t :: --long --operators=equals,notequals Note the "::"--that is necessary to note that the arguments are going to the test, not to "prove". See the perldoc of the individual tests to see what options they support, or do "perl xt/search.t --help".