https://github.com/quexpl/serve
Serve is escript to quickly start an HTTP server, with directory index.
https://github.com/quexpl/serve
cowboy-webserver developer-tools elixir escript http-server static-website-server
Last synced: 4 months ago
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Serve is escript to quickly start an HTTP server, with directory index.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/quexpl/serve
- Owner: quexpl
- License: mit
- Created: 2025-02-20T23:05:33.000Z (over 1 year ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-02-05T10:02:10.000Z (5 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-02-05T21:48:03.156Z (4 months ago)
- Topics: cowboy-webserver, developer-tools, elixir, escript, http-server, static-website-server
- Language: Elixir
- Homepage: https://hexdocs.pm/serve
- Size: 126 KB
- Stars: 1
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- Changelog: CHANGELOG.md
- License: LICENSE.md
Awesome Lists containing this project
README
# Serve
[](https://github.com/quexpl/serve/actions?query=workflow%3ACI)
[](https://hex.pm/packages/serve)
[](https://hexdocs.pm/serve)
**Serve** is escript to quickly start an HTTP server, similar to quick-start solutions available in other languages:
```shell
$ php -S localhost:8080
$ ruby -run -e httpd . -p 8080
$ python3 -m http.server 8080
```
With **Serve**, you can quickly start an HTTP server:
```shell
$ serve /var/www/html
[info] Serving /var/www/html with Cowboy 2.13.0 at http://127.0.0.1:4444
```
## Installation
To install from Hex, run:
$ mix escript.install hex serve
To build and install it locally run:
$ mix install
it's a alias for:
$ mix do deps.get, escript.build, escript.install
> Note: For convenience, consider adding `~/.mix/escripts` directory to your `$PATH` environment variable.
> If you are using [asdf](https://github.com/asdf-vm/asdf) Whenever you install a new escript with `mix escript.install` you need to `asdf reshim elixir` in order to create shims for it.
If you want to uninstall Serve simply run:
$ mix escript.uninstall serve
## Options
### Comand line options
You can pass options directly to `serve`
- `-p`, `--port` - Specify the port to listen on (default: `4444`).
- `-o`, `--open` - Open the browser automatically.
- `-n`, `--no-index` - Disable directory listing.
- `-v`, `--version` - Shows Serve version.
- `-h`, `--help` - Shows Serve usage information.
```shell
$ serve --port 3000
```
### Environment variables
Serve also supports environment variables for all options. Simply use env with `MIX_SERVE_` prefix.
```shell
$ MIX_SERVE_PORT=3000 serve
```
You can also add exports to yours profile file, for example:
```
export MIX_SERVE_PORT=8000
export MIX_SERVE_OPEN=true
export MIX_SERVE_NO_INDEX=true
```
## Arguments
Serve accepts one argument: the directory to be served. If no directory is specified, the current working directory is used.
```shell
$ pwd
/var/www/html/my_website
$ serve
[info] Serving /var/www/html/my_website with Cowboy 2.13.0 at http://localhost:4444
```
```shell
$ mix docs
Generating docs...
View "html" docs at "doc/index.html"
View "epub" docs at "doc/serve.epub"
$ serve s doc
[info] Serving /home/quex/workspace/serve/doc with Cowboy 2.13.0 at http://localhost:4444
```
## Features
- dark mode
- directory index
## Security
Although Serve uses the robust Cowboy HTTP server, it is not intended to be a production-ready web server. It only supports the HTTP protocol and listens on the loopback interface.