WWWAdmin Just Won't Work!

Check file permissions on wwwadmin.pl (should be 755), verify the path to passwd.txt, ensure it's readable by the web server, and check your Perl path.

WWWAdmin works, but the password parts don't!

Ensure passwd.txt contains properly encrypted passwords using Perl's crypt() function in format username:encrypted_password.

Where can I get add-ons and help for WWWBoard?

See the Extras section for historical add-ons. For modern forums, consider phpBB, Discourse, NodeBB, or Flarum.

Does WWWBoard run on Windows NT/Windows?

Yes, with Perl for Windows (ActivePerl or Strawberry Perl) and a web server with CGI support.

I think my WWWBoard was hacked, how so?

Known vulnerabilities include passwd.txt exposure in the web root and a followup field exploit that allowed board clobbering. Update to v2.0 ALPHA 2.1 and move passwd.txt outside the web root.

How do I customize the look of WWWBoard?

Edit wwwboard.html template, modify HTML output variables in wwwboard.pl, or change configuration variables for colors and fonts.

How do I run multiple boards?

Create separate directories for each board with unique paths, data.txt, and messages/ directories. Or use the single-script multiple boards modification.

WWWBoard

Name: WWWBoard
Author: Matt Wright

WWWBoard (v2.0 Alpha 2.1) was Matt Wright's Perl-based discussion forum — a precursor to phpBB, vBulletin, and modern forum software.

"WWWBoard, a Perl script-based message board with some of the features found in higher-end products."

PCWeek, July 1996

Perl v2.0 ALPHA 2.1 Patched Jan 2000

Download View Demo Readme

Quick Info

Version: 2.0 ALPHA 2.1
Patched: January 07, 2000
Language: Perl 5+
License: Free for use
Includes: WWWAdmin tool

History Modern Alternatives Overview Features Installation Download FAQ

Historical Context

Released in 1996, WWWBoard was one of the first CGI scripts to bring threaded discussions to the web. It stored each message as a separate HTML file and used flat-file indexing — no database required. Thousands of websites ran WWWBoard before dedicated forum software like phpBB (2000) and vBulletin existed.

Why WWWBoard Mattered

WWWBoard gave any site with Perl and CGI access a working discussion forum at zero cost. It was the standard community tool on shared hosting throughout the late 1990s, when alternatives like UBB cost $100+.

Forum Timeline

1996: WWWBoard, UBB. 2000: phpBB, vBulletin launched. 2010: Facebook Groups and Reddit grew dominant. 2014: Discourse introduced modern forum architecture with trust levels and real-time updates.

Security: WWWBoard's passwd.txt file was a well-known vulnerability — stored in the web root with predictable paths, it allowed attackers to download admin password hashes. The followup field exploit also enabled board clobbering. Version 2.0 ALPHA 2.1 patches the followup issue, but passwd.txt must be moved outside the web root manually.

Modern Forum Software

Software	Stack	Cost	Notes
Discourse	Ruby / Docker	Free (self-hosted) / $100+/mo hosted	Trust system, real-time, used by Docker and GitLab communities
phpBB	PHP / MySQL	Free	Most widely deployed open-source forum since 2000
Flarum	PHP / MySQL	Free (MIT)	Lightweight, mobile-first, clean UI
NodeBB	Node.js / Redis or MongoDB	Free (self-hosted)	Real-time, plugin ecosystem, social integrations
XenForo	PHP / MySQL	From $160 (license)	Commercial, built by ex-vBulletin developers

Comparison: WWWBoard vs Modern Forums

Feature	WWWBoard (1996)	phpBB	Discourse
User registration	No	Yes	Yes
Spam protection	None	CAPTCHA, Akismet	AI + Trust levels
Mobile support	No	Themes	Built-in
Search	None	Full-text	Advanced
Database	Flat files	MySQL	PostgreSQL

Overview

WWWBoard is a threaded World Wide Web discussion forum and message board. Users can post new messages, follow up to existing ones, and participate in discussions organized by thread.

The current release (2.0 ALPHA 2.1) includes the WWWAdmin program for board maintenance and has security patches to prevent board clobbering by followup fields.

Package Contents

File	Description
`wwwboard.pl`	Main WWWBoard Perl script
`wwwadmin.pl`	Admin script for board maintenance
`wwwboard.html`	HTML file with post form and message links
`faq.html`	FAQ file for your users
`data.txt`	Data file tracking message numbers
`passwd.txt`	Password file for WWWAdmin (move outside web root)
`messages/`	Directory where posted messages are stored as individual HTML files
`README`	Installation and configuration guide
`ADMIN_README`	WWWAdmin documentation
`ALPHA-2`	Special information about this release

Features

Discussion Features

Threaded message display
Post new messages
Follow up to existing posts
Subject line threading
Email address linking
Optional URL field

Admin Features (WWWAdmin)

Password-protected administration
Delete individual messages
Remove threads
Board maintenance tools
Message archiving options

Security Note: Version 2.0 ALPHA 2.1 includes security patches that prevent board clobbering through followup fields. Make sure you are using the patched version.

Installation

Requirements: Perl 5+, Web server with CGI support, Write permissions for messages directory

Step 1: Download and Extract

Download the WWWBoard package and extract all files.

Step 2: Upload Files

wwwboard.pl → CGI-bin directory
wwwadmin.pl → CGI-bin directory
wwwboard.html → Web directory
faq.html → Web directory
data.txt → Web directory (or secure location)
passwd.txt → Outside web root (e.g. /home/user/wwwboard/)
messages/ → Create directory in web space

Step 3: Set Permissions

# Scripts executable
chmod 755 wwwboard.pl
chmod 755 wwwadmin.pl

# Data files writable
chmod 666 data.txt
chmod 666 wwwboard.html

# Messages directory writable
chmod 777 messages/

Step 4: Configure Variables

Edit wwwboard.pl and set required paths and URLs.

Step 5: Set Admin Password

Create a password hash using Perl's crypt() function and add it to passwd.txt for WWWAdmin access. Keep this file outside the web root.

Download

Download the WWWBoard script package:

wwwboard.tar.gz ~16 KB wwwboard.zip ~19 KB

View Individual Files

Working Demo

See WWWBoard in action:

Frequently Asked Questions

Common issues with WWWAdmin:

Check file permissions on wwwadmin.pl (should be 755)
Verify the path to passwd.txt is correct
Ensure passwd.txt is readable by the web server
Check your Perl path in the shebang line
Look at server error logs for specific errors

Password authentication issues:

Ensure passwd.txt contains properly encrypted passwords
Use Perl's crypt() function to generate password hashes
Format should be: username:encrypted_password
Check file permissions on passwd.txt

See the Extras section below for historical add-ons. For modern alternatives, see the comparison table above (phpBB, Discourse, Flarum, NodeBB).

Yes. Requirements: Perl for Windows (ActivePerl or Strawberry Perl), a web server with CGI support (IIS or Apache), and adjusted file paths (backslashes on Windows).

Known vulnerabilities:

passwd.txt exposure: Default installation places the admin password file in the web root at a predictable URL. Attackers download it and crack the DES hash offline.
Followup field exploit: Manipulated followup fields could overwrite the main board HTML file. Patched in v2.0 ALPHA 2.1.

Mitigations:

Move passwd.txt outside the web root
Update to version 2.0 ALPHA 2.1
Restrict admin access by IP via .htaccess
Back up the messages/ directory regularly

Edit wwwboard.html template for the main page layout
Modify HTML output in wwwboard.pl (the $html_header and $html_footer variables)
Change colors and fonts via configuration variables at the top of the script

Create separate directories for each board
Copy all files to each directory
Configure each wwwboard.pl with unique paths
Use different data.txt and messages/ for each

Or use the single-script multiple boards modification from the Extras section.

View All FAQs | WWWBoard FAQ Archive

WWWBoard in Action

See examples of WWWBoard implementations:

WWWBoard Extras

Historical add-ons and modifications for WWWBoard:

Multiple Boards on One Script

Run multiple discussion boards using a single wwwboard.pl installation.

Multi-Page Layout

Solution for large bulletin boards with archiving and pagination options.

Simple Search Engine

Add search functionality to find messages in your WWWBoard.

Preview Before Posting

Allow users to preview their messages before submitting.

Private Board

Create a password-protected private discussion board.

Subscription Function

Email notifications when new posts are added.

Japanese Version

Support for Japanese characters with translated documentation.

Related Scripts

Guestbook Perl

Simpler visitor comment system without threading.

FormMail Perl

Send form data via email instead of posting to a board.