Simple Linux Http Server in C

Description

This project is a lightweight HTTP server written in 🎓C for 📟Linux, designed with multithreading to 🧬efficiently manage multiple client connections concurrently. It features a command-line interface for straightforward 🌟server control, allowing you to start, pause, resume, and stop the server via a user-friendly menu. The server also includes 🕹️robust signal handling, enabling graceful shutdown with SIGINT or SIGTERM.

Features

• Multithreading: Each client connection is handled in a separate thread.
  
• Signal Handling: Gracefully stops the server on SIGINT or SIGTERM.
  
• Command Line Interface: Provides a menu to control the server.
  
• Mutex Locking: Ensures thread-safe operations on server state.

Compilation & Usage

⚠️**It is necessary to install GCC (GNU Compiler Collection)**

• To compile the server, run the following command in your terminal:

gcc http_server.c -o http_server

• After compiling the server, you can run the executable:

sudo ./http_server

▶️ You will be presented with a menu to control the server:

--- Simple HTTP Server Menu ---

1. Start Server

2. Pause Server

3. Resume Server

4. Stop Server

5. Exit

🧾Select an option:

• Start Server: Starts the HTTP server and listens for incoming connections on port 4040.
• Pause Server: Pauses the server, temporarily stopping it from accepting new connections.
• Resume Server: Resumes the server if it is paused.
• Stop Server: Stops the server and closes the listening socket.
• Exit: Stops the server (if running) and exits the program.

Steps to Connect from Windows to Linux Server:

Firstly, you have to find find the Server's IP Address:

• On your Linux server machine, determine its IP address with the following command:

ifconfig

• Look for the IP address associated with your network interface (e.g., eth0, wlan0).

  ✍️Note down this IP address.

When, Run the Server:

🔧Start your HTTP server program on the Linux machine as usual, ensuring it listens on a specified port (e.g., port 4040).

./http_server

• Connect from Windows Machine:

  On your Windows machine, open a web browser (such as Chrome, Firefox, or Edge).

  In the address bar, type the IP address of your Linux server followed by the port number where the server is running.

http://<linux-server-ip>:4040

Replace it with the actual IP address of your Linux machine.

*⚠️ For Example: If your Linux server's IP address is 192.168.1.100 and your server is running on port 4040, you would type: http://192.168.1.100:4040 *

• 🌐 Access the Web Page: Press Enter or Go in the web browser's address bar. If everything is set up correctly, you should see the webpage served by your Linux HTTP server.

• 🔥 Firewall: Ensure that the firewall on your Linux machine allows incoming connections on port 4040. You may need to configure iptables or ufw depending on your Linux distribution. Network Configuration: Both machines should be on the same local network for direct communication without additional configuration.

Conclusion

This method enables you to access the webpage hosted on your Linux-based HTTP server from any device within your local network, including Windows machines, as long as you have the server's IP address and the correct port number it's using.