simpleWebServer

Installation

simpleWebServe requires Python3 v3.8+ to run.

Clone the simpleWebServer repository. git clone repo change directrory to root of simpleWebServer cd repo All dependancies are in python standard library so no need for pip installing requirements.txt. To run simpleWebServer use the following commands:

change directory into simplserver cd simplserver start server with two commands python3 main.py start This runs a set_up function that checks for platform, python version,checks config file, and ssl/tsl .pem certificates. It reports and guides you on set up python3 main.py reload This runs the server with already completed setup. However, its functionallity has not been implemented in full. I recommend using start

During set up, if no config.json in the root directory you will be promted to opt in for default confog file setup config_default.json. An example of config file is shown below.

{
    "http":{
        "ssl/tls":"True"},
    "server":{
        "port":16000,
        "host":""
    }
}

For future versions you will be able to add proxy options and that option can be added in this form.

{
    "http":{
        "ssl/tls":"True"},
    "server":{
        "port":16000,
        "host":"",
        "proxy":{
                "port":8000,
                "host":"localhost"
        }
    }
}

Proxy option in the current version errors with sslError

Default config file is shown below

{
    "http":{
        "ssl/tls":"False"
    },
    "server":{
        "port":3000,
        "host":""
    }
}

Set up Process

After finding the configuration options simpleWebServer, looks for ssl/tls certificate files. These file certificates can be obtained from ssl/tls vendors or you can generate self endorsed certificates using OpenSSL. simpleWebServer has a self endorsed OpenSSL certificates. SSL file certificates have .pem extention. By default simpleWebServer has cert.pem key.pem This are self endorsed OpenSSL certificates and have a downside of being unkown to most ssl/tls sites. If you obtain from a porpular vendor the better, make sure to name the files cert.pem and key.pem and place them in the root directory. simpleWebServer looks for these names by default.

When valid ssl/tls files are found, you will be promted to put the passphrase of your certificates. Correct passphrase guarantees a secure transport layer connection socket formed. Incorrect passphrase results to creating a non-secure transport layer. Hitting enter on the prompt with without pass phrase alsoresults to non-secure transport. For simpleWebServer, its passphrase is the name of the repository.

If set up is successful, simpleWebServer will listen on config.server.port

simpleWebServer architecture

SimpleWebServer is a multithreaded server. It creates new thread for every request and itself runs on a thread itself. It accepts GET and POST requests on path /

During its running it is subject to wait time on linux environment after executing a request. A trying to reconnect request can cause OSError: [Errno 9] Bad file descriptor since simpleWebServer hasnot been optimized yet. In that case hit ctrl+c key to stop the server and start again.

Other things to note

• OpenSSL comes by default on linux environment. You can use the following command to create one openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout key.pem -out cert.pem -days 365
• ONLY TWO environment variables may be required incase.If you name othernamse asside from cert.pem and key.pem put them in environment variables such as shown below : -create environment im root directory python3 -m venv venv -activate the environment source venv/bin/activate -create .env file in root directory -use the following constants: CERT and KEY -Environment variable example:

  "CERT"=server.pem
  "KEY"=server_key.pem
  

• Using ssl/tls:true requires a https request. If the request is not https and the config is set to true, the following ssl error will occur ssl.SSLError: [SSL: HTTP_REQUEST] http request (_ssl.c:1131)
• MOST EXAMPLES ARE USED IN LINUX PLATFORM. You can find what works in your platform

Development

Want to contribute? Great!

Install, make changes and send a pull request!

Other improvements are on the way

License

Free Software, Hell Yeah!