The line

buffer = $text->get_buffer;

my $buffer = $text->get_buffer;

Also, if you posted all of the connect sub, it is using $buffer as a global. This works (if $buffer is really a global), but passing it as a parameter is more flexible and less prone to attracting errors when making changes to the surrounding code. Like this:

sub connect {
    my $buffer = shift;
    $buffer->set_text( "testing the text box and it must be working");
}
[download]

... connect($buffer) ...

I believe that I got it to work setting $buffer as a global variable. The next thing is that I want the script to post the text on a new line every time the button is pushed. I cant get it to do that and am requiring the monks help.

use Glib qw/TRUE FALSE/;
use Gtk2 '-init';
use strict;
use warnings;

my $user = "uas";
my $server = "updraft.unl.edu";
my $uas_local = '/home/deadpickle/Desktop/Gtk2';
my $uas_remote = '/home/uas/Scripts/COORDS';
my $way_local = '/home/deadpickle/Desktop/Gtk2';
my $way_remote = '/home/uas/Scripts/WP';
my $buffer;

#Main Window
my $window = Gtk2::Window->new('toplevel');
$window->signal_connect(destroy => sub { Gtk2->main_quit; });
$window->set_border_width(3);
$window->set_title("Virtual Cockpit Control Panel");
#Vbox setup and sub run
my $vbox = &ret_vbox();
#add vbox
$window->add( $vbox);
$window->show;
#Main loop
Gtk2->main;
#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#vbox
sub ret_vbox {
    #create the vbox to pack everything into
    my $vbox = Gtk2::VBox->new( FALSE, 5);
    ###############################
    #Login info
    my $login_hbox = Gtk2::HBox->new( FALSE, 5);
    #Frame, Label and Entry
    my $login_frame = Gtk2::Frame->new("Login");
    my $user_lbl = Gtk2::Label->new("User");
    my $server_lbl = Gtk2::Label->new("Server");
    my $user_eny = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    my $server_eny = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    #set entry text, width
    $user_eny->set_width_chars(5);
    $user_eny->set_text( $user);
    $server_eny->set_text( $server);
    #pack into hbox
    $login_hbox->pack_start( $user_lbl, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $login_hbox->pack_start( $user_eny, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $login_hbox->pack_start( $server_lbl, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $login_hbox->pack_start( $server_eny, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    #add to frame
    $login_frame->add( $login_hbox);
    #pack it
    $vbox->pack_start($login_frame, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    ###############################
    #uas info
    my $uas_hbox = Gtk2::HBox->new( FALSE, 5);
    #Frame, Label and Entry
    my $uas_frame = Gtk2::Frame->new("UAS");
    my $uas_local_lbl = Gtk2::Label->new("Local");
    my $uas_remote_lbl = Gtk2::Label->new("Remote");
    my $uas_local_eny = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    my $uas_remote_eny = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    #set entry text
    $uas_local_eny->set_text( $uas_local);
    $uas_remote_eny->set_text( $uas_remote);
    #pack into hbox
    $uas_hbox->pack_start( $uas_local_lbl, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $uas_hbox->pack_start( $uas_local_eny, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $uas_hbox->pack_start( $uas_remote_lbl, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $uas_hbox->pack_start( $uas_remote_eny, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    #add to frame
    $uas_frame->add( $uas_hbox);
    #pack it
    $vbox->pack_start($uas_frame, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    ###############################
    #waypoint info
    my $way_hbox = Gtk2::HBox->new( FALSE, 5);
    #Frame, Label and Entry
    my $way_frame = Gtk2::Frame->new("Waypoints");
    my $way_local_lbl = Gtk2::Label->new("Local");
    my $way_remote_lbl = Gtk2::Label->new("Remote");
    my $way_local_eny = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    my $way_remote_eny = Gtk2::Entry->new;
    #set entry text
    $way_local_eny->set_text( $way_local);
    $way_remote_eny->set_text( $way_remote);
    #pack into hbox
    $way_hbox->pack_start( $way_local_lbl, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $way_hbox->pack_start( $way_local_eny, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $way_hbox->pack_start( $way_remote_lbl, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    $way_hbox->pack_start( $way_remote_eny, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    #add to frame
    $way_frame->add( $way_hbox);
    $vbox->pack_start($way_frame, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    ###############################
    #text box
    my $text = Gtk2::TextView->new;
    my $scroll = Gtk2::ScrolledWindow->new;
    $scroll->set_policy('automatic', 'automatic');
    $scroll->add($text);
    $buffer = $text->get_buffer;
    $text->set_editable(0);
    $vbox->pack_start($scroll, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    ###############################
    #Connect info
    my $button = Gtk2::Button->new_with_mnemonic ("_Connect");
    $button->signal_connect("clicked" => \&connect);
    $vbox->pack_start($button, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
    ###############################
    #Show all
    $vbox->show_all;
    return $vbox;
}
#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#Connect subroutine
sub connect {
    $buffer->set_text( "testing the text box and it must be working\n"
+);
}
[download]