in reply to perl cgi without webserver?

You could try HTA, which runs like a limited standlone CGI without webserver. But you're solution might not need to be a CGI one, I don't know.

HTA example: 
<html>
<head>
    <TITLE>my tiny weeny tady lil test...</TITLE>
    <HTA:APPLICATION 
        ID="HTAEx" 
        APPLICATIONNAME="HTAEx" 
        ICON="e.ico"
        WINDOWSTATE="normal"
    >
</head>
<body>
    <pre>
        <SCRIPT language="PerlScript">        
            use Win32::Script qw/WScript/ ;
            $output = WScript('Shell')->Exec("ls")->StdOut->ReadAll ;
            $window->document->write("\nFiles:\n\n$output") ;
        </SCRIPT>
    </pre>
</body>
</html>

[download]
It lists the files you have in your current directory, assuming you have ls.exe in your DOS PATH. "dir" won't work since it's a command within command.com or DOS shell, not a executable by itself.

______________________
Update: The file name of the example above should have an hta extension, not html; something like foo.hta.

In Section Seekers of Perl Wisdom