C-HTTP

A lightweight and minimal HTTP server written in C that serves static files. The server stops when the Enter key is pressed. This project includes Docker and Docker Compose to easily run the server in a containerized environment.

Features

• Lightweight & Fast: Built from scratch in C with minimal dependencies.
• Static File Serving: Can serve HTML, CSS, JS, and other static files.
• Graceful Shutdown: The server stops when the Enter key is pressed.
• Handles 404s: If a requested file is not found, a 404 Not Found response is sent.
• Dockerized: Use Docker and Docker Compose to easily set up and run the server in a containerized environment.
• Customizable Port: The server listens on port 11000 by default, but this can be changed.

Requirements

For Local Development:

• GCC or any other C compiler to build the server (if not using Docker).
• Docker and Docker Compose to run the server in a containerized environment.

For Docker Setup:

• Docker and Docker Compose installed on your machine. You can install them by following the instructions in the official Docker documentation.

How to Run

Option 1: Run with Docker

1. Clone the Repository:

   First, clone the repository to your local machine:

   git clone http://github.com/MementoMori11723/C-http.git C-HTTP
   cd C-HTTP

2. Build and Run the Docker Container:

   Use Docker Compose to build and run the container:

   docker-compose up --build -d -f compose.yml

   This will automatically build the Docker image and start the server in a container, listening on http://localhost:11000.

3. Stop the Docker Container:

   To stop the server running in Docker, press the Enter key inside the terminal where the container is running. Alternatively, you can use:

   docker-compose down -f compose.yml

   This will stop and remove the container.

Option 2: Run Locally (Without Docker)

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone http://github.com/MementoMori11723/C-http.git C-HTTP
   cd C-HTTP

2. Build and Run the Project:

   Use make to compile the project:

   make

   The server will start and listen on http://localhost:11000 by default.

3. Stop the Server:

   To stop the server, press the Enter key. Alternatively, you can use:

   make stop

How to Test

Once the server is running, you can test it in several ways:

Using a Web Browser:

• Open your preferred browser and navigate to http://localhost:11000/. You should see the content served by the server. If a file is requested and exists, the server will return the content with a 200 OK status.

Using wget:

• You can also test the server using wget. For example, to request the about.html file:

  wget http://localhost:11000/about.html

Using curl:

• Similarly, you can use curl to make requests to the server:

  curl http://localhost:11000/about.html

In both cases, if the requested file is found, it will be returned with a 200 OK status. If the file is not found, a 404 Not Found response will be sent.

What It Does

Server Functionality:

• Listening: The server listens on port 11000 by default for incoming HTTP requests.
• Serving Static Files: It serves files located in the directory from which it is run. For example, if you request /about.html, it will look for an about.html file in the current directory.
• File Response:
  • If the requested file exists, the server sends it with a 200 OK status.
  • If the file does not exist, the server responds with a 404 Not Found status.
• Shutdown Mechanism: The server stops when the Enter key is pressed. This provides a simple mechanism to stop the server without needing to force quit.

File Structure:

The server can serve any static files in the directory it is run from. Ensure that any HTML, CSS, JavaScript, or other content you want to serve is located in the same directory as the server, or modify the code to specify a path to another directory.

Troubleshooting

• Server Not Starting: Ensure that you have successfully compiled the server with make. If there are any errors during compilation, they should be displayed in the terminal.
• Docker Issues: If using Docker and the server isn't starting, ensure that Docker is installed and running correctly. You can check this with docker --version and docker-compose --version.
• Port Conflicts: If port 11000 is already in use, you may need to modify the code or configuration to use a different port.
• File Not Found: If the file you are requesting is not found, make sure it exists in the server's working directory. If you're using a different directory, adjust the file path in the code accordingly.

Contributing

If you'd like to contribute to this project, feel free to fork the repository and submit a pull request. Please ensure that your contributions follow the basic code style and conventions used in the repository.

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a new branch (git checkout -b feature-name).
3. Make your changes.
4. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add new feature').
5. Push to the branch (git push origin feature-name).
6. Open a pull request.

Future Improvements

• Add support for HTTPS (SSL/TLS).
• Support for dynamic content (e.g., PHP, CGI).
• Add logging for requests and errors.
• Implement more robust handling for various HTTP methods (e.g., POST, PUT).
• Enable configurable server port and host through command-line arguments or a configuration file.