When running a script as a CGI script, it needs to output headers before anything else. Please see one of the alternatives to CGI.pm for which modules you could use. As one example, you might try: use CGI::Simple;

CGI::Simple is just an old stripped version of CGI.pm. CGI.pm is king of that old gateway tech. CGI::Alternatives explains

In reply to Re^2: read database 500 error by Anonymous Monk
in thread read database 500 error by PaganJim

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