20 Years Ago, I Built a Simple Web Server by Reading HTTP Specs. Today, I Rebuilt It with Modern .NET and AI.
Back in 2005, I read through HTTP protocol books and painstakingly hand-crafted a lightweight Windows utility called "Easy Web Server" (簡単WEBサーバー).
Fast-forward about 20 years: instead of wrestling with low-level socket boilerplate, we now have powerful standard libraries—and AI collaborators to bounce ideas off of. So, I decided to completely rewrite the tool from scratch as EasyHTTPServer 2.
Rather than patching 20-year-old legacy code, this is a clean-slate implementation powered by C# / .NET 10, ASP.NET Core Kestrel, and WPF.
Key Features
One-Click File Sharing: Select a folder and start a read-only HTTP file server instantly.
Static Site Hosting: Host simple static websites with index.html support.
Flexible Binding: Works on localhost, Home LAN, and VPN environments.
Zero-Config LAN HTTPS & Pairing: Built-in HTTPS with a quick-pairing mechanism for secure local network sharing.
Large File & Resume Support: Handles large downloads with HTTP range requests (resume capability).
Classic 2005 Theme: A nostalgic UI skin that pays homage to the original 2005 release.
The original tool holds a special place in my heart, having been used in school classrooms for introductory HTML lessons back in the day. While preserving its signature "just works" simplicity, the architecture has been thoroughly modernized to eliminate old risks—such as path traversal vulnerabilities and unsafe CGI execution.
Getting Started (Windows x64)
Simply extract the ZIP package and launch EasyHTTPServer.exe—no complicated setup required.
GitHub Repository:
https://github.com/moe-charm/EasyHTTPServer
Windows Download (Alpha Release):
https://github.com/moe-charm/EasyHTTPServer/releases/tag/v2.0.0-alpha.1
It is currently in alpha, but I plan to iteratively refine it—striking the right balance between 2000s nostalgia and modern security standards. Feedback and contributions are warmly welcome!
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