Web-based, or web-hosted? If you did mean based, W-Agora does what you want, it's free, open-source, and allows file attachments that you define. It definitely allows PDF file uploading, as per a post a user made in their forums (doesn't seem to be a big issue). I saw a word doc attached to a post in one of their demos, as well as various image formats. I see no reason why PPT wouldn't also be included, since you define the allowable extensions.
posted by iconomy at 9:27 AM on July 23, 2010

Are you looking for something to run on your own host, or are you looking for a hosted solution? Because pretty much any decent forum software allows the admin to configure the allowed file types/extensions for attachments -- I know for a fact that it's possible to have PDF attachments with phpBB, IPB, and vB. But if you're talking about a hosted solution then it's likely that the host has disabled that option in the control panel because they don't want people using their free hosting to host certain types of files, so if that's what you're after then the question really isn't about forum software but about host policy.
posted by Rhomboid at 9:33 AM on July 23, 2010

ning perhaps?
posted by symbollocks at 9:55 AM on July 23, 2010

This might not have enough features for you, but Google Groups is free and doesn't require hosting.
posted by me & my monkey at 11:21 AM on July 23, 2010

Depending on what you need, you can find free hosting around. I have no idea who's good now (I used 1&1 for a bit but they don't seem to have free hosting anymore. They do have free for 12 months and then $6.99 a month but there's some fine print I didn't read.)
posted by theichibun at 12:09 PM on July 23, 2010

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