Simple HTTP Server in C

A lightweight HTTP server implemented in C that serves static files (HTML and images) with proper MIME type detection.

Features

• Serves static HTML files from /app directory
• Serves images from /img directory
• Supports multiple file types (HTML, PNG, JPG, GIF)
• Proper MIME type detection
• Basic error handling
• Fork-based request handling for concurrent connections

Prerequisites

• GCC compiler
• Make build system
• UNIX-like operating system (Linux, macOS)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone <repository-url>
cd http-server

2. Build the server:

make

This will:

• Create necessary directories (app and img)
• Compile the server

Usage

1. Start the server:

./httpd <port>

Example:

./httpd 8080

2. Directory Structure:

.
├── app/          # Place HTML files here
│   └── *.html
├── img/          # Place images here
│   └── *.png, *.jpg, *.gif
└── httpserver    # Server executable

3. Accessing Files:

• HTML files: http://localhost:8080/app/filename.html
• Images: http://localhost:8080/img/image.png

Supported File Types

• HTML files (.html, .htm)
• Images:
  • PNG (.png)
  • JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
  • GIF (.gif)

Development

Available Make Commands

• make: Build the server
• make clean: Clean build files
• make run: Run server on port 8080
• make test: Run basic server test
• make install: Install to system (requires sudo)

Adding Files

1. HTML Files:

cp your_file.html app/

2. Images:

cp your_image.png img/

Make sure files have proper permissions:

chmod 644 app/* img/*

Error Handling

The server provides basic error responses:

• 404 for files not found
• 200 for successful requests
• Basic error messages for server issues

Security Notes

• Server runs on localhost (127.0.0.1) by default
• No directory traversal protection implemented yet
• Limited to static file serving
• No SSL/TLS support

Limitations

• Maximum URL length: 128 bytes
• Maximum request method length: 8 bytes
• Buffer size for file reading: 512 bytes
• No support for query parameters
• No caching implementation

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch
3. Commit your changes
4. Push to the branch
5. Create a Pull Request

Author

github.com/omniflare

Acknowledgments

• Built with standard C libraries
• Inspired by basic HTTP protocol specifications
• Inspired by Foundations of Network Technology By Dr. Jonas Birch