Most computers come with their own web servers and, if they do not, it is easy to install one. Setting it may do some work, but it is worth it in my opinion. In fact, I do not consider set to set my computer until I can go localhost in the browser.
What is a local web server?
There is a web server behind every website. The term can refer to both software and hardware: the program that hears the URL requests and in turn serves the documents, and the computer on which it moves.
In this context, I am talking about software – such as Apache or Naginx – which you can set on your desktop computer. That machine will then act as a web server.
Setting a local web server does not mean that it is open to the Internet, to see anyone in the world. In fact, I advise against it. Although you can host a public web server from your home, you should probably do so for safety and cost reasons, as only a temporary experiment. But a local web server that only you can see is another story.
With a local web server set, you can see your own files in a web browser, usually by looking, it will show a “reception” page, although you may need to install and set your web browser, which you are using OS.
How to install and configure web server
If you are running Windows, internet information services should be available in advance, you just need to turn it on. You can find that this web server works fine for your objectives, but it is a proprietary product and is usually not used as Apache.
Apache remains the most famous and available web servers in all operating systems. It is very easy to install and start it, although it is also a highly configured program, and it can be complicated if you want to try anything beyond the basic things. Apache is set up by default on MACOS, and it can run automatically without going without you – just check to look.
If Apache is not already running on Macos, try to run Sudo launch load -W/ssystem/Library/launchdaemons/org.apache.httpd.plist,
NGINX is a great choice and, like Apache, is an independent and open source. If you are driving a Linux distro that does not already come with Apache, it is probably worth installing the nginx for a little better first experience.
sudo apt install nginx
Whatever web server you install, you have to set a document root. This is the top-level directory of your server, and as a default-you will only be able to see files below this directory, which are default Apache location/Library/Webserver/Documents on MACOS, while/VAR/WWW/HTML is specific on Linux, for both APACHE and NGINX. The specific location may vary depending on your distribution.
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Apache vs. NGINX: Which web server is a better option?
NGINX and Apache serve more than 50% of the joint web.
To check the document route, search for the relevant setting in the configuration file for your web server. For Apache on Macos, it should be in /tc/apache2/httpd.conf:
DocumentRoot "/Library/WebServer/Documents"
On Linux, you can find a configure file on /tc/apache2/sites-enabled/000- default.conf. For NGINX, it should be/ETC/NGINX/Site-SAC/Default and the instructions will look something like this:
root /var/www/html;
If you want to set a site at the default location, it’s fine, but I like to separate a directory in my house and instead serve the files from there.
What can you use for this?
A local web server is perfect for local websites, but it can also do much more.
Browse your file system parts
With just a small amount of setup, you can use your web browser a little like a file manager. This will only be-padded, so you will not be able to use it for file management such as changing or removing names. But you will be able to navigate through directors, will see the list of files inside them, and can open those files:
Apache Autoindex module When you request a URL that gives a map to a directory, the directory generates the index. It is like running a bit LS directory On the command line, although the output is slightly more interactive.
I have a folder on my hard drive which includes most of my work, writing, scraps of notes, pictures, and so on. By putting a web server in front of it, I can browse through these files whenever I am in the web browser – which is most of the time. I think the time and time comes again due to the immediate available view of all my individual content.
The default scene looks very old school, but you can adapt it to your CSS and JavaScript if you know how. I have installed a system that suits me, which updates the design slightly, and combines features such as the Hidble column and a simple search filter:
Documentation and help files in HTML or Markdown
When you install software, or download any collection of files, you will often end up with some highly useful documentation. It can be in a simple text format, a structured format such as Markdown or HTML, or even a PDF. However, your browser can handle it, display the document without opening a separate app.
For Markdown, I like to use Markdown viewer Extension for chrome, which is as simple as its name. This device presents the markdown documents in an attractive, easy-to-half-half-bound format with options to handle emoji, a table of materials, and more.
Web development and testing
When you are developing for the web, a local web server is incredibly useful. Instead of crossing your fingers a test server or badly, a local server lets you look at your work in progress, without any trouble. You can also work offline, no internet connection is required!
This web design goes for work, for your written material, and also for complex programming, whether it is in client-side JavaScript or backand language. If you are working with the latter, you have to configure your web server to handle it, but this is a relatively straight process.
Self-hosting web apps
Many “self-hosted” apps target local web servers audiences and some are for the consumption of the most common media, such as music players or image galleries. This setup is much faster than the cloud-based solution, and you do not need to spend bandwidth to upload and download large files.
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How to set home media server you can access from any device
You have found a lot of options with media server software and devices that you can use to run it.
Pivigo There is an open-source web app for the management of photos and other media. You can use its self-hosted release for free, although you will need PHP and MySQL as well as a web server.
Freshers There is a clean, light RSS aggregator. You can try its online demo or download and host the app on the web server running PHP.
JavaScript Bookmarks Laying a Library
You can use your web browser’s bookmark to expand the functionality of any website by writing your own JavaScript code or downloading existing scripts. However, once these scripts begin to become more complex, bookmarks can barely include them.
To make the process more tolerable, why not host such script on your local server and load them through the browser bookmark? This setup lets you do tasks such as spellchecking a page, extracting data from it, or changing your style to hide unwanted elements.
Some aspects of self-hosting are getting out of fashion, which is replaced by doors images or cloud-based services. But it is easy to host your own web server, makes great sysadmin for practice, and lets you take charge of what is really going on your computer.
