httpit

Ultra-fast, lightweight HTTP server for Python. httpit is a high-performance static file server built as a Python C extension, offering exceptional speed and efficiency.

Installation

pip install httpit

Quick Start

Serve files from the current directory on port 8000:

httpit

Serve files from a specific directory:

httpit /path/to/files

Serve on a custom port:

httpit 8080

Combine directory and port:

httpit /path/to/files 8080

Features

• 🚀 Blazing Fast - Built in C with zero-copy sendfile() support
• 🪶 Lightweight - Minimal memory footprint and dependencies
• 🔧 Easy to Use - Simple command-line interface and Python API
• 📁 Directory Listing - Browse directories with built-in HTML interface
• 🔒 Security - Basic authentication and access control support
• 🌐 Modern Standards - HTTP/1.1, IPv6, Keep-Alive, Range requests
• 📊 Production Ready - Access logging, daemon mode, custom MIME types

Command Line Usage

Basic Commands

# Serve current directory on port 8000 (default)
httpit

# Serve on specific port
httpit 8080

# Serve specific directory
httpit /var/www/html

# Serve specific directory on specific port
httpit /var/www/html 8080

Advanced Options

# Enable debug output
httpit -d

# Disable directory listing
httpit -F

# Enable access logging
httpit -l access.log

# Bind to specific IP
httpit -i 192.168.1.100

# Enable CORS headers
httpit -C

# Custom index file
httpit -I index.php

# Set connection timeout (seconds)
httpit -t 30

# Set maximum connections
httpit -c 100

# Run in background (daemon mode)
httpit -D

# Enable basic authentication
httpit -a username:password

# Serve specific virtual host
httpit -n www.example.com

# Custom mime types file
httpit -m /etc/mime.types

Complete Example

# Production server with logging, authentication, and custom settings
httpit /var/www/html 443 \
  -D \
  -l /var/log/httpit/access.log \
  -a admin:secure_password \
  -F \
  -t 60 \
  -c 1000

Python API

Basic Usage

from httpit import HTTPServer

# Create and start server
server = HTTPServer(port=8080, root="/var/www/html")
server.start()

# Check if running
if server.is_running():
    print("Server is running")

# Stop server
server.stop()

Context Manager

from httpit import HTTPServer

with HTTPServer(port=8080) as server:
    print(f"Serving at http://localhost:{server.port}")
    input("Press Enter to stop...")

Advanced Configuration

from httpit import HTTPServer

server = HTTPServer(
    port=8080,
    root="/var/www/html",
    host="www.example.com",      # Virtual host
    bind_ip="0.0.0.0",           # Bind address
    debug=True,                   # Debug output
    no_listing=True,             # Disable directory listing
    auth="user:pass",            # Basic auth
    log="access.log",            # Access log
    cors="*",                    # CORS headers
    timeout=60,                  # Connection timeout
    max_connections=1000,        # Max concurrent connections
    index="index.php"            # Index file
)

server.start()

Running in Background Thread

import threading
from httpit import HTTPServer

server = HTTPServer(port=8080)

# Start in background thread
thread = threading.Thread(target=server.serve_forever)
thread.daemon = True
thread.start()

# Your application continues running
# ...

# Stop when done
server.stop()

Performance

httpit is designed for maximum performance:

• Zero-copy file serving using sendfile() system call
• Minimal memory allocations during request handling
• Efficient event loop with epoll/kqueue support
• Smart caching for directory listings and file metadata

Benchmark results show httpit can serve static files 2-5x faster than traditional Python web servers like http.server or SimpleHTTPServer.

Use Cases

• Static file serving - Websites, documentation, downloads
• Development server - Quick testing and prototyping
• Media streaming - Video/audio files with range support
• File sharing - Simple LAN file server
• CDN origin - Backend for content delivery networks
• Docker containers - Minimal footprint for containerized apps

Comparison with Alternatives

Feature	httpit	http.server	nginx	Apache
Performance	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ease of Use	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐
Memory Usage	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Features	⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Python Integration	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐	⭐

Security Considerations

• httpit is designed for serving static files only
• Always use -F flag to disable directory listing in production
• Use authentication (-a) for sensitive content
• Run as non-root user when possible
• Consider using a reverse proxy for HTTPS in production

Troubleshooting

Port Already in Use

If you see "Port already in use" error:

# Find process using the port
lsof -i :8000

# Or force kill any httpit processes
pkill -f httpit

Permission Denied

If serving from system directories:

# Use sudo (not recommended)
sudo httpit /etc 8080

# Better: copy files to user directory
cp -r /etc/myapp ~/myapp
httpit ~/myapp

No Output / Silent Exit

Run with debug flag to see errors:

httpit -d

Contributing

httpit is a high-performance HTTP server for Python. For feature requests and issues, submit PRs to the httpit repository or visit https://httpit.rodmena.co.uk

License

GNU General Public License v2.0 (GPLv2)

Credits

• httpit is developed and maintained by RODMENA LIMITED
• High-performance C-based HTTP server with Python integration
• Visit https://httpit.rodmena.co.uk for documentation and support

About RODMENA LIMITED

RODMENA LIMITED specializes in high-performance software solutions and web technologies. Visit us at https://rodmena.co.uk for more information about our services and products.