Perl is one of the most established programming languages on the Internet. With its powerful string processing capabilities and the optional availability of almost every library imaginable, Perl is an excellent choice for somebody looking to allow flexibility and expandability. At HelioHost, we offer Perl configured with more than 100 basic libraries and can add additional modules upon request. If you're a Perl developer looking for free hosting, HelioHost is the place to be.
{% hint style="info" %} If you need a different version of Perl, you'll need to get a VPS. {% endhint %}
| Server | Path | Version | Loader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy | /usr/bin/perl | 5.16.3 | CGI |
| Johnny | /usr/bin/perl | 5.16.3 | CGI |
HelioHost offers more than 100 Perl libraries by default on all free hosting accounts.
To request additional libraries, please raise a request in the Customer Service forum, making sure to provide your username, your server, and the libraries you need including any relevant version numbers for them.
As a security restriction, we force each Perl script to run as its HelioHost user through suEXEC. This prevents any actions that require root-level access. This shouldn't be a problem for legitimate uses.
Perl scripts are easy to configure and run. To test it out with a simple example, follow the steps below:
If you were transferred from the old cPanel, your main domain will be parked on the public_html directory.
If you created a new account on Plesk, your directory will be httpdocs.
#!/usr/bin/perl
print "Content-type: text/html\r\n\r\n";
print "Perl as CGI is working...";
Edit the perl.pl file's CHMOD permissions to 755 (rwx r-x r-x).
Navigate to domain.heliohost.us/cgi-bin/perl.pl in your browser.
If everything is working you should see Perl as CGI is working... displayed in your browser.
Leave the first line as the shebang (#!/usr/bin/perl).
Below the shebang, you may write Perl code.
Ensure you output a Content-type header before anything else.
If you prefer to make Perl executable directly inside the httpdocs folder, you can do this by using an .htaccess file with these contents:
Options +ExecCGI
AddHandler cgi-script .pl
You can then navigate to domain.heliohost.us/perl.pl and view the Perl as CGI is working... success message.
A good tutorial can be found here: https://perlmaven.com/installing-perl-and-getting-started