CivetWeb is a compact web server that can be embedded into C and C++ applications or run as a standalone server.
Its embedding API lets programs add HTTP, HTTPS and WebSocket services without deploying a separate web-server process, making it useful for device configuration pages, local web interfaces, automation endpoints and protocol gateways. The standalone build can also serve ordinary files and provide server-side scripting. Most functionality can be selected at build time so applications can avoid compiling features they do not need.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Embeds HTTP and HTTPS server functionality into C and C++ applications.
- Provides a standalone web server executable that can operate without a separate installation.
- Offers a C API and an optional C++ wrapper.
- Supports WebSocket servers and WebSocket clients.
- Supports CGI and server-side includes.
- Provides optional Lua server pages, Lua scripts and SQLite integration.
- Offers optional server-side JavaScript support through Duktape.
- Supports WebDAV, including experimental interoperability features for some clients.
- Provides HTTP authentication and optional client-certificate authentication.
- Supports TLS through OpenSSL and can also be built with Mbed TLS support.
- Includes an HTTP client API for arbitrary HTTP and HTTPS requests.
- Supports resumed downloads, URL rewriting, file blacklisting and IP-based access-control lists.
- Can impose download speed limits based on client subnet or URI patterns.
- Can run as a systemd service on supported systems.
- Provides build-time switches for IPv6, WebSockets, Unix domain sockets, server statistics and other optional components.
- Includes C and C++ embedding examples and extensive API documentation.
- Keeps the core server suitable for drop-in integration while allowing optional components to be excluded.
- Provides experimental HTTP/2 functionality in builds that enable the relevant features.
Website: github.com/civetweb/civetweb
Support:
Developer: CivetWeb developers
License: MIT License
CivetWeb is written in C. Learn C with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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Read our verdict in the software roundup.
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