Webserv

Overview

Webserv is a non-blocking, single-process HTTP/1.1 server written in C++98.
It handles static file serving, file uploads, and CGI execution, using a customizable configuration file.

Build

# Build the project
make

Usage

./webserv <configuration_file>

• If no configuration file is provided, a default path is used.
• The server listens on ports and hosts defined in the config.

Configuration File

The configuration file uses an NGINX-inspired syntax to define one or more server blocks. Key directives:

• listen host:port
• server_name name1 [name2 ...]
• error_page code path
• client_max_body_size bytes
• location path { ... }
  • root directory
  • methods GET [POST DELETE]
  • index file
  • autoindex on|off
  • return status URL (redirection)
  • cgi_pass extension /path/to/cgi
  • upload_dir directory

Example snippet

server {
  listen 127.0.0.1:8080;
  server_name localhost;

  error_page 404 /errors/404.html;
  client_max_body_size 1000000;

  location / {
    root /var/www/html;
    index index.html;
    autoindex off;
  }

  location /upload {
    methods GET POST;
    upload_dir /var/www/uploads;
  }

  location /php {
    cgi_pass .php /usr/bin/php-cgi;
  }
}

Requirements

• Language: C++98 (-std=c++98)
• Compiler: c++ or g++
• Flags: -Wall -Wextra -Werror
• Allowed syscalls: socket, bind, listen, accept, recv, send, poll/select/epoll/kqueue, fork (CGI only), file I/O, process control
• Forbidden: external or Boost libraries.

Behavior & Constraints

• Single non-blocking event loop (one poll() or equivalent) for all sockets.
• No direct blocking reads/writes outside the event loop.
• Accurate HTTP response codes; default error pages if not provided.
• Support for GET, POST, DELETE methods.
• Fully static file serving and file uploads.
• CGI execution with correct environment and chunked request handling.
• Resilient under stress; must never crash.

macOS Specific

• Use fcntl() with O_NONBLOCK and FD_CLOEXEC to emulate non-blocking I/O.

Testing

• Test with web browsers, telnet, and compare behavior with NGINX.
• Automated stress tests recommended (e.g., using Python, Go).

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This README covers the mandatory requirements for the Webserv project.