This project implements a simple, lightweight, multi-process HTTP server in C. The server is designed to handle HTTP GET requests from multiple client connections concurrently using process-based concurrency. The server fetches static files and serves them with appropriate HTTP responses utilizing concepts in socket programming, TCP/IP networking communication, process management, and server architecture.

The server can be accessed locally using a web browser or using the client code provided.

All information and errors are logged in a web-server.log file.

• Concurrent Client Handling: Each client connection is handled in a separate process for concurrency.
• Request Handling: The server supports HTTP GET requests, serves static files, and logs connection details.
• Socket Programming: Uses low-level POSIX APIs for creating and managing TCP sockets.
• Signal Handling: Automatically reaps child processes with SIGCHLD to prevent zombie processes.
• File Serving: Supports multiple file types (HTML, HTM, TXT, GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG) and returns appropriate HTTP headers and content to clients.
• Modular Design: Clearly separates server initialization, connection handling, and request processing for maintainability.
• Response Sending: Correctly formats HTTP server responses based off of status code from request (ie 404, 405, 200, 500).

1. Initialization: The server creates a socket, binds it to a specified port, and listens for incoming connections.
2. Connection Handling: The accept() call blocks until a client connects. Upon connection, the server creates a child process with fork() to handle the client.
3. Request Processing: The child process handles the client’s request and logs the connection details. The parent process continues to listen for new connections.
4. Response: The server then sends a response back to the client with the requested file, or an error message detailing the request/server error along with an HTTP status code.

• GCC or another C compiler.
• A Unix-based operating system (Linux or macOS).

1. Clone the Repository
   Download the project files from your repository or source directory.

   git clone https://github.com/will-mcintyre04/http-web-server.git
   cd http-web-server
   

2. Compile the Server
   The server can be run locally using the Makefile provided. The make run command creates the required directories, compiles the c code, assembles the object files and links them together to create and run an executable.

   make run ARGS="<port-number>"

   Note that you can use the make command to just compile and link the files without running the server.

3. Accessing the Server
   Open a browser or use curl to test the server:

   curl --output http://localhost:<port-number>/index.html

   This should return a 404 error indicating the requested resource is not found.

4. Populating the Server
   To populate the server with static files that can be accessed, create a file in the root directory. For example:

   cd http-web-server
   touch example.txt
   nano example.txt
   <FILL IN FILE WITH CONTENT>
   
   make run ASRGS="<port-number>"
   curl --output http://localhost:<port-number>/example.txt

   The response should contain the content of the example file created.