README Feb 2004

Hibachi is a simple, small, and (probably) very secure web server.

There is a `supplement.tar.gz' file that unpacks several support files and a sub-directory tree containing the documentation and examples. It can be viewed by:

tar -zxf supplement.tar.gz
lynx localhost/index.html

Or once Hibachi is running, use a web browser, preferably one that supports images and JavaScript, to view the documentation and try some of the CGI examples:

http://localhost:8008/

Building

To build just the executable:

# Cygwin, FreeBSD, Linux (newer)
gcc -ohibachi hibachi.c

# Linux (older)
gcc -DSHUT_WR=1 -ohibachi hibachi.c

# SunOS
gcc -ohibachi hibachi.c -lnsl -lsocket 

Since some systems place socket and network functions into other libraries, a GNU autoconf ./configure script has been provided to figure out the necessary link libraries, to verify all the necessary headers and functions are present, and setup the #! paths for the CGI examples. In which case the preferred build commands are:

./configure [--enable-port=number]
make

To start the server on the default port (8008):

./hibachi-start.sh &

To test the server:

lynx http://localhost:8008/

To stop the server:

kill %1

Features

• Supports virtual hosts.

• Supports all MIME types.

• Supports Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts and programs.

• Supports multiple index.* file types:

  index.htm, index.html, index.php, index.pl, index.sh, index.rb, index.py

• Supports subset of RFC 2616 HTTP/1.1 methods: GET, HEAD, and POST

• Simple & straight forward configuration using environment variables.

• Portability across Unix-like environments, such as:

  Cygwin, FreeBSD, Linux, SunOS.

• Known to work with Lynx, Mozilla, Opera, and Internet Explorer web browsers.

• Is a dedicated process-forking server that does not use inetd.

• Is secure against relative path file snooping.

• Is secure against directory searches.

• CGI script execution managed through Unix file permissions.

• ~155 lines of source, 1940 bytes long by IOCCC 2004 rules, ~6KB compiled & stripped for FreeBSD.

• Superior & smaller than micro_httpd from http://www.acme.com/

• And has a really cool tongue-in-cheek animated logo too.

Comments

• This code is properly indented using the One True Brace style.

• HTTP/1.0 200 OK == HTTP/1.1 200 OK CRLF Connection: close ?

• getenv() == putenv() ?

• Hibachi can server www.ioccc.org.

• Commented spoiler available.

Known Issues

• The "links" text browser does not support RFC 2616 section 7.2.1 paragraph 3 sentence 2, and so fails to display responses from hibachi.

Suggested IOCCC Categories

• Best Utility
• Best Support
• Most Portable Package
• Most Likely to Cook Apache
• Best Interpretation of RFC 2616
• Winner of The Far Too Much Free Time Award