# π₯ Carbon HTTP Server
[](LICENSE)
[](https://www.linux.org/)
[](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language))
[](http://makeapullrequest.com)
**A high-performance HTTP/HTTPS server written in C for Linux systems**
*Features advanced security, caching, and asynchronous I/O capabilities*
> **β οΈ WORK IN PROGRESS**: This project is currently under active development and is not yet a full release. Features may be incomplete, APIs may change, and bugs may be present. Use in production environments at your own risk.
[Features](#-features) β’ [Installation](#-installation) β’ [Configuration](#-configuration) β’ [Usage](#-usage) β’ [Contributing](#-contributing) β’ [License](#-license)
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## π Table of Contents
- [Overview](#-overview)
- [Features](#-features)
- [Prerequisites](#-prerequisites)
- [Installation](#-installation)
- [Configuration](#-configuration)
- [Usage](#-usage)
- [Project Structure](#-project-structure)
- [Roadmap](#-roadmap)
- [Contributing](#-contributing)
- [Security](#-security)
- [License](#-license)
- [Acknowledgments](#-acknowledgments)
## π Overview
Carbon is a production-ready HTTP/HTTPS server implementation in C, designed for high performance and security. Built with modern Linux systems in mind, it leverages epoll-based I/O, thread pooling, and comprehensive security measures to deliver a robust web serving solution.
## β¨ Features
### π Performance
- **Asynchronous I/O**: Epoll-based event handling for maximum efficiency
- **Thread Pool**: Efficient connection handling with configurable worker threads
- **Smart Caching**: File caching system to reduce disk I/O
- **SendFile Optimization**: Zero-copy file transfers for better throughput
- **Keep-Alive Support**: Persistent connections to reduce overhead
- **TCP Optimization**: Fine-tuned NODELAY and buffer configurations
### π Security
- **SSL/TLS Support**: Full HTTPS support with modern cipher suites
- **Auto HTTPS Redirect**: Automatic HTTP to HTTPS redirection
- **Rate Limiting**: Per-IP rate limiting and DDoS protection
- **Security Headers**: CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options, and more
- **Input Sanitization**: Protection against path traversal and injection attacks
- **Buffer Overflow Prevention**: Memory-safe operations throughout
### π οΈ Developer Features
- **JSON Configuration**: Easy-to-edit configuration files
- **Comprehensive Logging**: Detailed logs with rotation support
- **MIME Type Detection**: Automatic content-type detection via libmagic
- **Debug Mode**: Built-in debugging support for development
## π¦ Prerequisites
Before building Carbon, ensure you have the following dependencies installed:
```bash
# Update package lists
sudo apt-get update
# Install required dependencies
sudo apt-get install -y \
build-essential \
libssl-dev \
libcjson-dev \
libmagic-dev \
pkg-config
```
## π Installation
### Quick Start
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Azreyo/Carbon.git
cd Carbon
# Build the server
make
# Run the server
./server
```
### Build Options
Carbon provides multiple build configurations:
```bash
make # Standard build
make debug # Debug build with symbols
make release # Optimized release build
make clean # Clean build artifacts
```
### Manual Compilation
If you prefer manual compilation:
```bash
gcc server.c config_parser.c server_config.c -o server \
-D_GNU_SOURCE \
-Wall -Wextra -O2 \
-lssl -lcrypto -lpthread -lmagic -lcjson
```
## βοΈ Configuration
### SSL/TLS Setup
> **β οΈ Important**: Self-signed certificates should only be used for testing purposes. For production, use certificates from a trusted Certificate Authority like [Let's Encrypt](https://letsencrypt.org/).
```bash
# Create certificates directory
mkdir -p certs
# Generate self-signed certificate (for testing only)
openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:2048 \
-keyout certs/key.pem \
-out certs/cert.pem \
-days 365 -nodes \
-subj "/C=US/ST=State/L=City/O=Organization/CN=localhost"
```
### Server Configuration
Create or edit `server.json` in the project root:
```json
{
"port": 8080,
"use_https": false,
"log_file": "log/server.log",
"max_threads": 4,
"running": true,
"server_name": "localhost",
"verbose": true
}
```
**Configuration Options:**
- `port`: HTTP port (default: 8080)
- `use_https`: Enable HTTPS (requires SSL certificates)
- `log_file`: Path to log file
- `max_threads`: Number of worker threads
- `server_name`: Your domain or IP address
- `verbose`: Enable detailed logging
### Directory Structure
Set up the required directory structure:
```bash
# Create web root and subdirectories
mkdir -p www/{css,js,images}
# Create logs directory
mkdir -p log
# Place your web files in www/
# Example: www/index.html, www/css/style.css, etc.
```
## π― Usage
### Starting the Server
```bash
# Run the server
./server
# The server will start on the configured port (default: 8080)
# Access it at http://localhost:8080
```
### Firewall Configuration
If you're using UFW, allow the necessary ports:
```bash
# Allow HTTP port
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp
# Allow HTTPS port (if using SSL)
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
# Reload firewall
sudo ufw reload
```
### Testing
```bash
# Test HTTP endpoint
curl http://localhost:8080
# Test HTTPS endpoint (if enabled)
curl -k https://localhost:443
```
## π Project Structure
```
Carbon/
βββ server.c # Main server implementation
βββ server_config.c # Configuration management
βββ server_config.h # Configuration headers
βββ config_parser.c # JSON configuration parser
βββ Makefile # Build configuration
βββ server.json # Server configuration file
βββ README.md # This file
βββ LICENSE # MIT License
βββ certs/ # SSL certificates (create this)
β βββ cert.pem
β βββ key.pem
βββ www/ # Web root directory
β βββ index.html
β βββ css/
β βββ js/
β βββ images/
βββ log/ # Log files
βββ server.log
```
## πΊοΈ Roadmap
| Feature | Priority | Status |
|---------|----------|--------|
| HTTP/2 Support | High | π Planned |
| WebSocket Support | Medium | π Planned |
| User Authentication | High | π Planned |
| API Rate Limiting | High | β
Implemented |
| Reverse Proxy Mode | Medium | π Planned |
| Load Balancing | Low | π Planned |
| Docker Support | Medium | π Planned |
| Comprehensive API Docs | Medium | π Planned |
## π€ Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Here's how you can help:
1. **Fork** the repository
2. **Create** a feature branch (`git checkout -b feature/AmazingFeature`)
3. **Commit** your changes (`git commit -m 'Add some AmazingFeature'`)
4. **Push** to the branch (`git push origin feature/AmazingFeature`)
5. **Open** a Pull Request
Please ensure your code:
- Follows the existing code style
- Includes appropriate comments
- Passes all tests
- Updates documentation as needed
## π Security
Carbon implements multiple security layers, but for production deployments:
- β
**Use a reverse proxy** (Nginx, Apache) for additional security
- β
**Obtain proper SSL certificates** from Let's Encrypt or another CA
- β
**Keep dependencies updated** regularly
- β
**Monitor server logs** for suspicious activity
- β
**Conduct regular security audits**
- β
**Implement firewall rules** to restrict access
- β
**Use strong passwords** and authentication mechanisms
**Reporting Security Issues**: Please report security vulnerabilities to the maintainers privately before public disclosure.
## π License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## π Acknowledgments
Carbon is built with these excellent open-source libraries:
- [OpenSSL](https://www.openssl.org/) - SSL/TLS cryptography
- [cJSON](https://github.com/DaveGamble/cJSON) - Lightweight JSON parser
- [libmagic](https://www.darwinsys.com/file/) - MIME type detection
---
**Made with β€οΈ by [Azreyo](https://github.com/Azreyo)**
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