Mapache Server

HTTP(S) Serving, made simple

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Jump to the Setup Page

Jump to the HTTPS config Page

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Installation

   2.1. Usage

   2.2. Benchmarking

   2.3. Server configuration

3. FAQ

1. What is it?

Mapache is my take on building the most complete HTTP/HTTPS web server that I can, totally from scratch: no NodeJS, no Python, just pure C and memory leaks!

For the time being it is just a side hobby, just a very entertaining one: you see, I've come to realize that I tend to return to C programming every once in a while. It's simple, I know the syntax, and there's something to having to do everything by yourself that seems both intimidating and motivating to me. So Mapache fits right in this cookiecutter.

Here's a snapshot of what it currently does

• Basic functionality of the HTTP/HTTPS protocol.

• Yes, it supports HTTPS via OpenSSL & TLS protocol! (How to set it up?)

• Support for Python & PHP server-side scripting (via CGI, or Common Gateway Interface).

• It generates pretty cool directory listings, like this one:

And here's a list of what it could get to do

• Compatibility with Windows & the WinSock API

• Full (or semi-full) implementation of the HTTP protocol, as defined by RFC 2616.

• Support for service-activation, no running executables required.

• Support for multiple server-side scripting languages.

2. How to install? How to use the Makefile?

Just execute the ALL Makefile rule to generate the executable:

$ make all

To clean binary files & build directories, use:

$ make clean

If you have run make all and want to do clean + all:

$ make reset

And for Valgrind checking:

$ make val

IMPORTANT DEPENDENCIES: you'll need to have Python3 and PHP installed in the host environment where the server will run, in order to support server-side scripting:

$ sudo apt install python3 php

2.1. How to use it?

Through compiling, a server executable will be generated. You can then run it with:

$ ./mapacheServer

This will init Mapache on localhost IP, and log messages will be shown in the terminal.

Nevertheless, there are also a couple of handy flags. You can check them with -h:

$ ./mapacheServer -h
USAGE: ./server <FLAGS>

Current <FLAGS> are:
   -h: Shows this help
   -d: Daemonizes server
   -s: Use OpenSSL-TLS to enable secure-HTTP (HTTPS) serving
   -f <FILE>: Redirect server logs to <FILE>
   -C <C_FILE>: Take configuration from <C_FILE> config file (default is `./mapache.conf`)

For detailed set-up documentation, please refer to the Setting-Up page.

2.2. How to check an example?

This repo contains a web/ folder with both the Mapache start page (for checking if it is running) and a Benchmarking page. To see the main page, just start the server and navigate to this URL in your browser:

http://localhost:8080/home.html

The benchmarking page contains several items that display the current capabilities of Mapache, along with a loading chronometer. It is hosted at:

http://localhost:8080/benchmark.html

2.3 How to edit the server config file?

There is a server config file, called server_conf.conf, which allows you to edit:

• The server name (server_signature label)

• The root folder on which Mapache will search for your webpage files (server_root label)

• The port in which to listen for clients (listen_port label)

• Max number of clients to be connected at once (max_clients label)

Feel free to adjust these values to your needs.

3. Frequently Asked Questions

What's with the name 'Mapache'?

Remember good old Apache Server? Well, I think that pretty much answers your question :^)

Can I contribute to it?

Yes! This project is licensed with the MIT License, so as far as I'm concerned, it's totally ok for you to create a pull request. I will validate your code and, if all goes okay, you will become an oficial Racoon Contributor.

Thanks for checking this project out!