App::HTTPThis

http_this is a tiny command-line web server for the directory you are standing in.

It is the sort of tool you reach for when you want to answer one simple question: “Can I see these files in a browser right now?” It starts a local HTTP server, serves the current directory, prints the URL, and stays out of your way.

http_this

By default, that serves the current directory on:

http://127.0.0.1:7007/

You can also serve a different directory:

http_this ~/Downloads

For more background on why this exists and why it is handy, see Dave Cross’s write-up: App::HTTPThis: The tiny web server I keep reaching for.

Why Use This?

There are plenty of ways to start a quick web server. http_this is useful because it is deliberately small and boring:

• it serves static files from a directory
• it gives you directory listings
• it can serve index.html files when you want that behavior
• it is built on PSGI/Plack
• it has safe localhost-only defaults
• it has escape hatches for WSL and LAN sharing

It is useful for previewing static HTML, sharing generated files with a local browser, checking exported documentation, or quickly browsing a directory tree without setting up a larger web server.

Installation

Install from CPAN:

cpanm App::HTTPThis

or with the standard CPAN client:

cpan App::HTTPThis

Quick Start

Serve the current directory:

http_this

Serve another directory:

http_this path/to/files

Use a different port:

http_this --port 9001

Use prettier directory listings:

http_this --pretty

Serve index.html for directory requests when present:

http_this --autoindex

Print the installed version:

http_this --version

Network Safety

Since version 1.0.0, http_this binds to 127.0.0.1 by default. That means only this computer can connect to it unless you explicitly choose otherwise.

To bind to a specific address:

http_this --host 192.168.1.23

To deliberately listen on all network interfaces:

http_this --all

--promiscuous is also accepted as an alias for --all.

Use --all only when you really do want other machines on your network to be able to reach the files you are serving.

Windows, WSL, And Chrome

If you run http_this inside WSL and open the page from a browser running on Windows, 127.0.0.1 may not be enough. In that setup, WSL has its own network address.

Use:

http_this --wsl

This binds to the non-loopback IPv4 address selected by the WSL default route and prints a URL that a Windows browser can open. It is narrower than --all because it binds to one WSL address rather than 0.0.0.0.

You can make that your default in .http_thisrc:

wsl=1

Configuration

http_this looks for configuration in this order:

1. a file passed with --config
2. the file named by HTTP_THIS_CONFIG
3. .http_thisrc in the current directory
4. .http_thisrc in your home directory

The file format is simple key=value data:

port=9001
pretty=1
autoindex=1

Supported keys are:

• port
• host
• name
• all
• wsl
• autoindex
• pretty

Command-line options override configuration values.

Bonjour / mDNS

http_this can advertise itself over Bonjour/mDNS/DNS-SD:

http_this --name "My shared files"

This requires Net::Rendezvous::Publish and an appropriate backend for your platform. See BONJOUR.md for more detail.

Options

--port PORT          listen on a different port
--host HOST          bind to a specific host or IP address
--wsl                bind to the WSL address for Windows browser access
--all                bind to all network interfaces
--promiscuous        alias for --all
--name NAME          publish the server over Bonjour/mDNS
--autoindex          serve index.html for directory requests when present
--pretty             use prettier directory listings
--config FILE        read configuration from FILE
--version            print the installed version
--help               show usage information
--man                show the full manual page

How It Works

App::HTTPThis is intentionally thin. The command parses options and config, then starts a Plack::Runner serving a Plack::App::DirectoryIndex app. Plack does the heavy lifting; this distribution provides the convenient CLI and the small bits of behavior that make it pleasant to use.

License

This software is free software, licensed under the Artistic License 2.0.