Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing?

Posted by forgotmypw17 on Sunday December 19, 2021 @08:21AM
from the ask-hn dept.

I'm looking for a web server to use for local development and testing. My requirements are:

Simple to configure with one config file

Included as a package in most distributions

Supports CGI, access.log, HTTP Basic auth and htpasswd format, SSI, HTTP 1.1, setting expire headers, rewrite rules.

Stable configuration format

I've been using lighttpd for a while, but I am frustrated by its configuration churn. Every couple of version some option becomes "deprecated" with another one to replace it. This results in warnings when I launch it, extra work I have to do to get rid of them, and then managing these changes between all the different lighttpd versions I now have to support.

Does anyone know a good alternative?

( 9 comments | 6 points | on HN )

Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by samwillis on Sunday December 19, 2021 @09:19AM (#29614126)

Nginx is super stable and does what you want, I’m not aware of any config options being depreciated.

Or maybe Caddy, keep hearing good things but not used it myself.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by arpa on Sunday December 19, 2021 @11:20AM (#29615119)

Nginx only supports fastCGI.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by no_circuit on Sunday December 19, 2021 @08:55AM (#29613958)

Have you considered Apache HTTP Server v2.4.X? I'd expect that the configuration churn would be a lot less with it. It is available in most Unix-like OS distributions, and as well as Windows if that's what you need. The configuration can fit in one file if you inline any of the configuration `Include` directives. Plenty of documentation and tutorials on the Internet for it.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by gjvc on Sunday December 19, 2021 @08:47AM (#29613892)

as close as possible as to what's used in production

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Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by Dystopian on Sunday December 19, 2021 @11:52AM (#29615540)

I agree with this ↑

If you want to play with something fun though, Richard Hipp (of SQLite) has althttpd which sparked my interest when I first heard about it - https://sqlite.org/althttpd/doc/trunk/althttpd.md

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Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by vs4vijay on Sunday December 19, 2021 @08:49AM (#29613906)

caddyserver

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Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by cpach on Sunday December 19, 2021 @11:14AM (#29615041)

Caddy is a joy to work with. I like it even more than Nginx. The configuration language is very succinct and clear. Automatic HTTPS is included out-of-the-box if you need it (no plugins required).

It’s easy to deploy since it’s a static binary written in Go.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by joshxyz on Sunday December 19, 2021 @07:44PM (#29620316)

Great reverse proxy

Great configurations

Very nice i like it

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Re:Ask HN: Simple HTTP server for local dev and testing? by unbanned on Sunday December 19, 2021 @03:30PM (#29618030)

Apache.

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