Pinguinite is easy to use yet versatile forum software written entirely in PERL for integration with the Apache web server software and the MySQL database engine on the highly stable Linux operating system.

Try out our demonstration forum now! (coming soon)

The demonstration forum has lots of help pages explaining how to post and operate the various administrative features.

Now maintained & developed by PerlWatch!

May 24, 2007: Version 1.00.10 Released! Contains Bug fixes (trace mode), Anti-Spam registration codes, Ignore Thread features. Streamlined installation program installs or upgrades from previous version.

January 15, 2007: Pinguinite is now maintained, and developed by PERLwatch Networks, so it's even easier to have a Pinguinite forum on your own web server! A very robust and user friendly installation program takes care of almost all the details. Download Now!

System Requirements: Pinguinite is designed to operate on a UNIX / Apache / MySQL system (BSD & Mac OSX), but will also operate on UNIX-like systems, such as Linux. Versions should be relatively recent for each (OS / Apache / MySQL).

Pinguinite is a very mature product with the earliest version going live in June of 2002. Since that time, Pinguinite has matured dramatically with a great number of feature enhancements, and conversion for generic use. As of January of 2007, it is maintained by PERLWatch Networks complete with an installation program to have you up and running in no time.

Design your own highly customized look and feel! Pinguinite employs a template HTML driven file system so you can control what your forum looks – from the graphics, font colors and screen colors. You can even control where various software components like the list of recent article titles appear. A style sheet is employed so you can tell Pinguinite how various fonts and even background graphics should appear. Nested HTML components (HTML include files) allow the entire site to change with a single small modification. You can even set up numerous versions of these HTML templates or skins so users can opt for the one that best suits their tastes, or needs!

Powerful Administrative Functions allow you to set your forum exactly the way you desire.

• Want a private forum for members-only viewing?
• Want to offer forum home pages for members?
• Require administrative approval for new members before they post?
• Alter various page sizes throughout the site?
• Elect NOT to have private mail?

No problem. A quick visit to the administrative pages and you have exactly what you want.

Pinguinite History

In January 2002, a talented software developer was approached and asked to develop a web site which would offer a news discussion forum to compete with the content practices of a popular and long standing political discussion web site. In June of that year, LibertyPost.org went on-line. For two years the software developer, Neil McIver, conducted upgrades and operated the site, instituting and enforcing rules, arbitrating disputes and instituting frequent software upgrades in answer to popular requests and also to better aid in management tasks.

After two years, Neil McIver stepped down from Liberty Post and modified the previously customized software for general use and now supports a wide variety of optional features and fully supports HTML customization. We can support your graphics, your colors, your font styles.

Remember that unlike most forum software platforms, Pinguinite was originally developed by the same programmer/designer who has actively used it, so you can be sure that you get convenient interfaces and the right tools to manage your forum, and not tools which programmers without field experience think you need.

Remember there are very good programmers around writing forum software but without site management experience they don't have the understanding of what works best for you. With Pinguinite, you have a quality software designer with real field experience in what you need. That's why only Pinguinite has innovative features like Trace Mode, Subscription Ping Lists, and our famous Bozo Filter.

Available NOW!
Pinguinite utilizes a refreshingly simple look and feel, yet retains several powerful means of allowing users to locate information they want to find. Gone are the confusing topics arrangement and dull boxy looks of so may contemporary forums. Comments are simple to find and discussions easy to follow. Users won't get lost looking for articles and comments they want to see!

Here's a brief overview of just some of Pinguinite's features:

• General:
  • Very clean overall look and feel Designed for ease of use;
  • Highly configurable;
  • Subscription Ping Lists to allow users to conveniently Ping individual audiences of any size (Original Pinguinite feature);
  • No commercial advertisements (except for your own);
  • Forum can reside on your subdomain (forum.yourdomain.com) or under Pinguinite.com/yourforumname;
  • HTML template design allows highly versatile web page layout (use your favorite style sheets, color schemes, etc) - Use more than one and let your members select their favorite;
  • Automated categorizing of new articles through searching of admin defined keywords;
  • Trace mode for easy following of exchanges in threads (Original Pinguinite feature);
  • Automatic paragraph break insertions and hyperlinking of web addresses for easy posting of flat text;
  • Bozo Filter to allow users to filter comments from rivals (Original Pinguinite feature);
  • Duplicate warning system when posting new articles;
  • Optional Private Forum (member-only browsing);
  • Private Mail with encoded data storage (for improved privacy);
  • User Home Pages, Bookmarks and Taglines (with member option to suppress tagline display for cleaner viewing;).
  • Easy To/From search of postings by screen name;
  • Optional real name registration;
  • Convenient title box for listing latest articles/threads;
  • Very fast article archive searching;
  • Large data volume potential for articles and comments;
• Administrative Options:
  • Multiple membership levels: Full, Introductory, Lurker, Suspended, Banned and more.
  • Configurable posting limits by membership level.
  • Administrative approval of new members (optional).
  • First time poster alerts
  • Watch Terms for administrative alerts when specific words or phrases are posted.
  • IP address blocking and searching.
  • Optional blocking of member registration attempts from free web mail domains.
  • Profanity filter (substitutes ** for certain 4 letter profanities).
  • Posting Volume Statistics.
  • Thread locking to prevent additional comments.
  • Highly configurable: Enable only the available features you want.

• Don't see a feature you want? Ask if it can be added and we'll do our best. New features added periodically and updates are free.

• Update Log:

  • Jan 15, 07	Pinguinite now maintained, and developed by PERLwatch Networks! Interactive Installation script does almost all the setup work for you.
    Aug 5, 06	Members may now edit their own comments within admin controlled time limits.
    Jun 14, 06	Duplicate article detector installed (Alerts those about to post an article that may have already been posted in recent memory).
    May 31, 06	View counter for articles/threads added (search engine spider hits ignored).
    May 30, 06	Article searching enhanced to include content with results scored by relevancy
    Mar 25, 06	Keyword support for threads added and pre-existing threads mined for keywords retroactively
    Mar 13, 06	Bug fix: Attempts to visit deleted threads via Trace mode caused system slowdown
    Jan 16, 06	Bug fix: Under certain conditions, some member setup data lost upon saving changes
    Nov 30, 05	Support for multiple skins (member selectable via setup page) installed
    Nov 23, 05	Support for style sheets (CSS) added
    Nov 14, 05	Administrative Web based access installed for many site-wide settings
    Sep 29, 05	Members may now select their own Private Mail expiration (7-365 days).
    Aug 4, 05	Thread Locking Feature added (Administrative-only feature)
    Jul 31, 05	Personal Bookmarks and Homepages installed
    Jul 25, 05	Bozo and Category Filter bug fixes
    Jun 16, 05	Auto hyperlinking of web addresses in posted content added
    Jun 6, 05	Users may change their own password, Setup page broken into separate subpages
    May 31, 05	Tag lines and Poster comment boxes (for when posting articles) added
    Mar 27, 05	Article size limit increased from 64K to 524K characters
    Feb 28, 05	Various upgrades to the private mail system
    Feb 16, 05	Private mail installed, list of characters permitted for screen names increased
    Feb 1, 05	Upgrade permitting unique HTML templates or "skins" to be used with various forums.

• Current Pinguinite Clients:
  • View Pinguinite Live at: Freedom4um.com!
• Screenshots:

  Here are some screen shots of 4um (Please note web page style -- fonts, colors and graphics -- were developed by the owners of freedom4um.com with a 3rd party web developer and imported into the site. Pinguinite is able to operate with a huge variety of looks and feels. (click for enlarged view)

  • Details on article postings are conveniently displayed.	Reading comments is easy. Our Trace mode allows for easy reading of one discussion in a busy thread.
    Member registration is easy, and confirmed by required email address. Administrative approval of new accounts are optional. Full, Limited, and Lurker accounts supported.	Latest Comments: A one stop page where all comments are conveniently listed, or narrow searches on poster or Ping List (Member created area of unique interest) can be conducted.
    The optional Private Mail Listings -- simple and clean.	Part of the setup screen. With our unique Bozo Filter, another Pinguinite original feature, allows members to easily ignore rivals making moderation an easier task.

• An alternate forum utilizing the same software: LibertysFlame.com!

• Another site also using Pinguinite: LaptopAmerica.net!

• The older pre-standardized version of Pinguinite: LibertyPost.org

  Watch this site for more updates and information on Pinguinite. Contacts are welcome.