Question 1

How do I set up HTTPS with simple-http-server?

Accepted Answer

You need a PKCS#12 certificate file (.p12 or .pfx). Generate one using OpenSSL commands from the README, then use --cert and --certpass options with the tls feature enabled. PEM files are not directly supported.

Question 2

simple-http-server vs Node.js serve: which is better for local development?

Accepted Answer

Simple HTTP Server offers more security features like upload protection and HTTPS out-of-the-box, while Node.js serve is simpler but may lack these extras. Choose based on whether you need advanced security and Rust performance.

Question 3

How to enable file uploads in simple-http-server?

Accepted Answer

Use the -u flag to enable uploads, set a CSRF token with --csrf (though it's insecure), and configure size limits with -l. The README provides examples, such as simple-http-server -u -l 50M .

Question 4

Does simple-http-server support directory listing?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it includes directory listing with breadcrumb navigation and optional sorting by name, modified date, or size, which can be disabled with --nosort as per the options.

Question 5

What security headers does simple-http-server add?

Accepted Answer

It adds CORS via Access-Control-Allow-Origin, COOP set to same-origin, and COEP set to require-corp, all enabled with command-line flags like --cors, --coop, and --coep.

Question 6

Can I use simple-http-server for single-page applications?

Accepted Answer

Yes, use the --try-file option to serve a fallback file (e.g., index.html) for missing paths, ensuring SPAs handle client-side routing correctly, as shown in the examples.

Question 7

How to protect directories with basic auth in simple-http-server?

Accepted Answer

Use the -a option followed by username:password, e.g., -a admin:secret, to enable HTTP Basic Authentication for the served directory, as detailed in the usage section.

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