WebServ

WebServ is a custom HTTP server implementation developed as a team project. This server is designed to handle HTTP requests, demonstrating core concepts of web server functionality, network programming, and HTTP protocol implementation.

Table of Contents

1. Project Overview
2. Features
3. Technology Stack
4. Installation
5. Usage
6. Project Structure
7. Key Concepts
8. Team Contributions
9. Resources and Further Reading
10. License

Project Overview

WebServ is a lightweight HTTP server that implements core functionalities of the HTTP/1.1 protocol. It's designed to handle web serving tasks, demonstrating the fundamental principles of network programming, concurrent connections handling, and HTTP request/response cycle management.

Features

• HTTP/1.1 protocol support
• GET, POST, and DELETE method handling
• Static file serving
• Custom error pages
• CGI support
• Connection multiplexing using poll()
• Config file parsing for server setup
• Multiple virtual servers support

Technology Stack

• Language: C++
• Network Programming: POSIX sockets
• I/O Multiplexing: poll() system call
• Build System: Makefile
• CGI: PHP and Python support

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/webserv.git
   

2. Navigate to the project directory:

   cd webserv
   

3. Compile the project:

   make
   

Usage

1. Run the server with a configuration file:

   ./webserv <config_file>
   

   Example configuration files are provided in the config_files/ directory.

2. Access the server through a web browser or tools like curl:

   curl http://localhost:<port>
   

3. To stop the server, use Ctrl+C or any interrupting signal.

4. To clean up compiled files:

   make fclean
   

Project Structure

webserv/
├── Headers/
│   ├── Cgi.hpp
│   ├── Libraries.hpp
│   ├── WebServerIncludes.hpp
│   └── ConfigFileParsing/
│       ├── ConfigFile.hpp
│       ├── Location.hpp
│       └── ServerConfig.hpp
├── Parsing/
│   ├── Location.cpp
│   ├── ServerConfig.cpp
│   ├── Utils.cpp
│   ├── config_file.cpp
│   └── overload_operator.cpp
├── config_files/
│   ├── aababach.conf
│   ├── gkarib.conf
│   └── zait-che.conf
├── httpServer/
│   ├── Network.cpp
│   ├── cgi.cpp
│   ├── generators.cpp
│   ├── getters.cpp
│   ├── helpers.cpp
│   ├── httpServer.cpp
│   ├── post.cpp
│   └── setters.cpp
├── src/
│   ├── favicon.ico
│   ├── cgi/
│   │   ├── cookie_setter.php
│   │   ├── counter.php
│   │   ├── error_py.py
│   │   ├── helloworld.php
│   │   ├── helloworld.py
│   │   ├── infinite_loop.php
│   │   ├── info.php
│   │   └── query.php
│   ├── cgi_bin/
│   │   ├── php-cgi
│   │   └── py-cgi
│   ├── errors/
│   │   ├── 400.html
│   │   ├── 403.html
│   │   └── ... (other error pages)
│   ├── home/
│   │   ├── index.html
│   │   ├── lacost.html
│   │   ├── larini.html
│   │   └── ... (other assets)
│   └── media/
│       ├── en.subject.pdf
│       └── notes
├── Makefile
└── README.md

Key Concepts

Sockets

Sockets are the fundamental building blocks for network communication. In WebServ, we use POSIX sockets to create TCP connections.

Multiplexing with poll()

The server uses the poll() system call and its helper functions to handle multiple client connections concurrently. This allows the server to efficiently manage numerous connections without the need for multi-threading.

HTTP Protocol

Our server implements key aspects of HTTP/1.1, including:

• Request parsing
• Response formatting
• Header handling
• Status codes
• GET, POST, and DELETE methods

CGI (Common Gateway Interface)

Our implementation provides CGI support for both PHP and Python, enabling the execution of scripts and returning their output as part of the HTTP response.

Configuration System

The server uses a custom configuration file system, allowing for easy setup of multiple virtual servers and locations.

Team Contributions

• zait-che (Me):

  • GET and DELETE method implementation
  • Request parsing and data structure design
  • Response sending mechanism
  • Multiplexing support
  • Static and error page handling

• aababach:

  • Multiplexing implementation using poll()
  • POST method implementation
  • Custom request parsing and response sending method

• gkarib:

  • Configuration file parsing
  • CGI implementation

Resources and Further Reading

• Beej's Guide to Network Programming
• RFC 2616 - HTTP/1.1
• CGI: Common Gateway Interface
• poll() man page
• NGINX Documentation
• (more helpful links to be added)

License

This project is licensed under a restrictive, custom license. See the LICENSE file for details. Unauthorized use, modification, or distribution of this software is strictly prohibited.