Your script does not compile, which is a guaranteed way to get a 500 error! 

C:\>type test.pl

#!/usr/local/bin/perl
use CGI ':standard';
print header();
print start_html();
open FILE, "user/test";
    for $line (<FILE>) {
    if (index $line, "gold" > -1) {
        $GoldLine=$line;
    }
}
close FILE;
sub getgold {
    my $start= index $GoldLine, ":" + 2;
    result substr $start, length $line;
}
getgold;
end_html();

C:\>perl -w test.pl

Argument "gold" isn't numeric in numeric gt (>) at test.pl line 8.
Argument ":" isn't numeric in addition (+) at test.pl line 14.
Unquoted string "result" may clash with future reserved word at test.p
+l line 15.
syntax error at test.pl line 15, near "result substr"
Execution of test.pl aborted due to compilation errors.

[download]

Rather than explain these all these errors to you it may be more productive if you just explain exactly what you are trying to do and (vital) supply a sample of the data in you file 'test'. I'm afraid that as well as not working your code does not make a lot of sense in its current form.

BTW: If you had inserted a -w flag and used CGI:Carp you would have had these problems pointed out to you. You will generally have a much more rewarding CGI experience if your code starts: 

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use CGI::Carp qw(fatalsToBrowser);

[download]

tachyon

In reply to Re: same 500 server error problem shorter question by tachyon
in thread same 500 server error problem shorter question by Anonymous Monk

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