Serving Static Files with Docker and Darkhttpd

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

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.