Simple C Web Server

A lightweight web server written in C, built from scratch to better understand networking and the HTTP protocol at a low level.

Quick Start

Prerequisites

• GCC compiler
• Make
• Linux/Unix environment

Installation & Usage

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone <repository-url>
   cd c-web-server

2. Build and run in one command:

   make cbr

   This single command will:

   • Clean previous builds (clean)
   • Compile the project (build)
   • Run the web server (run)

3. Alternative commands:

   # Build only
   make
   
   # Clean build files
   make clean
   
   # Run the server (after building)
   make run
   
   # Format code
   make format

4. Configuration:

   • The server reads configuration from cws.conf
   • Static files are served from the public/ directory
   • Default port and other settings can be configured in the config file

5. Access the server:

   • Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:PORT (check cws.conf for the configured port)

Roadmap / To-Do List

• Basic Server

  • Create a simple TCP server that listens on a port.
  • Respond with a fixed static response (e.g., "Hello, World!").

• Serve Static Files & Logging

  • Add ability to serve static files (HTML, CSS, images).
  • Add autoindexing for directories without an index file. (low priority)
  • Implement a basic logging system to track requests and responses.
  • Add basic configuration file support.

• Proxy Features

  • Add reverse proxy capabilities to forward requests to other applications (Node.js, Python, Java, etc.).

• Large Request Handling

  • Fix buffer overflow issues when sending large files.
  • (1/2 i didnt handle large php request yet and i dont think that i will do it)Handle receiving large requests (buffer overflow). (i will do this after multi-threading to avoid conflicts)

• Multi-Threading Support

  • Enable the server to handle multiple clients concurrently using thread pool.

• Security & HTTPS

  • Add basic security checks and input validation.
  • Implement TLS/SSL support for HTTPS.

• Dynamic Content (PHP Support)

  • Support executing PHP scripts and returning the output.

Future Enhancements

• Inhance the multi threading system (add event loops)
• Add caching support.
• Support HTTP/2 & HTTP/3.
• Add WebSocket support.

Configuration

The server uses a TOML configuration file (cws.conf) to define its behavior. Here's a complete breakdown of all configuration options:

Server Configuration

[server]
host = "0.0.0.0"              # IP address to bind to (0.0.0.0 for all interfaces)
port = 8080                   # Port to listen on
max_connections = 100         # Maximum number of concurrent connections
workers = 4                   # Number of worker threads (default: 1)
default_index_name = "index.html"  # Default file to serve for directories
php_cgi_path = "/usr/bin/php-cgi"  # Path to PHP CGI binary (optional, NULL to disable PHP)

Logging Configuration

[logging]
level = "DEBUG"               # Log level: DEBUG, INFO, WARN, ERROR
use_colors = true             # Enable colored output in logs
time_format = "%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S"  # Timestamp format (strftime format)
output = "stdout"             # Log output: "stdout", "stderr", or file path

Route Configuration

Routes define how different URL paths are handled. You can define multiple routes using the [[routes]] syntax:

# Static file serving
[[routes]]
path = "/"                    # URL path to match
root = "./public"             # Directory to serve files from
index = "index.html"          # Default file for directories
autoindex = false             # Enable/disable directory listing
methods = ["GET"]             # Allowed HTTP methods (optional)

# Reverse proxy
[[routes]]
path = "/api"                 # URL path to proxy
proxy_pass = "http://localhost:3000"  # Backend server URL
methods = ["GET", "POST"]     # Allowed HTTP methods

# Static files with directory listing
[[routes]]
path = "/static/"
root = "./static"
index = "index.html"
autoindex = true              # Shows directory contents if no index file
methods = ["GET"]

Route Types

1. Static File Routes: Serve files from a local directory

   • Requires: path, root
   • Optional: index, autoindex, methods

2. Proxy Routes: Forward requests to another server

   • Requires: path, proxy_pass
   • Optional: methods

Configuration Examples

Basic static server:

[server]
port = 8080

[logging]
level = "INFO"

[[routes]]
path = "/"
root = "./public"

With proxy for API:

[server]
port = 8080

[[routes]]
path = "/"
root = "./public"

[[routes]]
path = "/api"
proxy_pass = "http://localhost:3000"
methods = ["GET", "POST", "PUT", "DELETE"]

Contributing

All contributions are welcome! Whether you're fixing bugs, adding new features, improving documentation, or suggesting enhancements, your help is appreciated.