Serving Static Files with Docker and Darkhttpd

In this blog post, we’ll explore how to use Docker and the lightweight HTTP server, Darkhttpd, to serve static files. This setup is particularly useful when you need a simple web server for sharing files or hosting a static website. We’ll also discuss how to use a reverse proxy like Traefik to route external traffic to the Darkhttpd service.

Docker Compose Configuration

Below is the docker-compose.yml file that defines the Darkhttpd service:

version: '3.3'
services:
  darkhttpd:
    image: p3terx/darkhttpd
    container_name: darkhttpd
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - './site:/www:ro'
    entrypoint: ["/darkhttpd","/www"]
    networks:
      your_network:
        ipv4_address: your_ipv4_address
networks:
  your_network:
    external:
      name: your_network_name

Here’s a brief overview of the configuration:

• The image field specifies the Docker image to use for the service.
• The container_name field sets the name of the container.
• The restart field configures the restart policy for the container.
• The volumes field defines the volume mounts for the service.
• The entrypoint field overrides the default entrypoint of the image.
• The networks field specifies the networks that the service is connected to.

Setting Up the Service

1. Create a directory named site in the same directory as the docker-compose.yml file. Place the static files you want to serve in this directory.
2. Replace your_network, your_ipv4_address, and your_network_name in the docker-compose.yml file with the appropriate values for your setup.
3. Run the following command to start the Darkhttpd service:

docker-compose up -d

4. Access the static files by navigating to the IP address specified in the docker-compose.yml file.

Using a Reverse Proxy

To route external traffic to the Darkhttpd service, you can use a reverse proxy like Traefik. Configure the reverse proxy to forward requests to the IP address specified in the docker-compose.yml file.

Conclusion

Using Docker and Darkhttpd to serve static files is a simple and efficient solution for sharing files or hosting a static website. By adding a reverse proxy, you can easily route external traffic to the Darkhttpd service. This setup is ideal for scenarios where you need a lightweight web server without the overhead of a full-fledged web server like Apache or Nginx.