Webbol: A minimal static web server written in COBOL
4 hours ago
- #WebServer
- #COBOL
- #StaticFiles
- Minimal static web server written in COBOL using GnuCOBOL.
- Serves static files from the current directory with automatic MIME type detection.
- Supports HTTP status codes: 200, 403, 404.
- Prevents path traversal attacks and logs clean HTTP headers.
- Defaults to serving 'index.html' for root path requests.
- Requires GnuCOBOL (cobc) compiler, POSIX-compatible OS, and make.
- Installation instructions provided for macOS, Ubuntu/Debian, and Fedora/RHEL.
- Compile with 'make' and run './webserver' to start on port 8080.
- Test with 'curl http://localhost:8080/'.
- Change server port by editing 'config.cpy' and recompiling.
- Supports common MIME types for HTML, CSS, JS, images, etc.
- Security features include path validation and directory access restriction.
- Limitations: No SSL/TLS, max file size 64KB, no caching or compression.
- Troubleshooting tips for port conflicts, permissions, and file not found errors.
- Released into the public domain, demonstrating COBOL's modern use.