*Note:* This software is pre-1.0 and under rapid development. Don't use it in production (yet).
Caddy is a lightweight, general-purpose web server for Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD, and [Android](https://github.com/mholt/caddy/wiki/Running-Caddy-on-Android). It is a capable alternative to other popular web servers.
### Features
The most notable features are HTTP/2, Virtual Hosts, TLS + SNI, and easy configuration with a [Caddyfile](https://caddyserver.com/docs/caddyfile). Usually, you have one Caddyfile per site. Most directives for the Caddyfile invoke a layer of middleware which can be [used in your own Go programs](https://github.com/mholt/caddy/wiki/Using-Caddy-Middleware-in-Your-Own-Programs).
3. Run `caddy` (assumes `$GOPATH/bin` is in your `$PATH`)
Caddy will, by default, serve the current working directory on [http://localhost:8080](http://localhost:8080)(the default port will change before version 1.0).
If you're tinkering, you can also use `go run main.go`.
By default, Caddy serves the current directory at [localhost:2015](http://localhost:2015). You can place a Caddyfile to configure Caddy for serving your site.
Caddy accepts some flags from the command line. Run `caddy -h` to view the help for flags.
When announced, there will be builds of Caddy available for all platforms.
### Configuring Caddy
## Quick Start
Use a Caddyfile to configure Caddy. If the current directory has a file called `Caddyfile`, it will be loaded and parsed and used as configuration. Or you can specify the location of the file using the `-conf` flag.
The website has [full documentation](https://caddyserver.com/docs) but this will get you started in about 30 seconds:
A Caddyfile always starts with an address to bind to. The rest of the lines are configuration directives. Here's an example:
Place a file named "Caddyfile" with your site. Paste this into it and save:
```
mydomain.com:80
localhost
gzip
browse
ext .html
websocket /echo cat
log ../access.log
header /api Access-Control-Allow-Origin *
browse /files /home/myuser/template.tpl
```
This simple file enables compression, serves clean URLs, adds the coveted `Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *` header to all requests starting with `/api`, and enables file browsing in `/files` using a custom HTML template. Wow! Caddy can do a lot with just a few lines.
Run `caddy` from that directory, and it will automatically use that Caddyfile to configure itself.
That simple file enables compression, allows directory browsing (for folders without an index file), serves clean URLs, hosts an echo server for WebSocket connections at /echo, logs accesses to access.log, and adds the coveted `Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *` header for all responses from some API.
Wow! Caddy can do a lot with just a few lines.
Maybe you want to serve both HTTP and HTTPS. You can define multiple (virtual) hosts using curly braces:
#### Defining multiple sites
You can run multiple sites from the same Caddyfile, too:
```
mydomain.com:80 {
gzip
ext .html
http://mysite.com,
http://www.mysite.com {
redir https://mysite.com
}
mydomain.com:443 {
tls cert.pem key.pem
https://mysite.com {
tls mysite.crt mysite.key
# ...
}
```
More documentation and rigorous tests are on their way as this program matures and leaves the experimental phase. Lots of refinements are planned and well on their way to becoming a reality.
Note that the secure host will automatically be served with HTTP/2 if the client supports it.
For more documentation, please view [the website](https://caddyserver.com/docs). You may also be interested in the [developer guide](https://github.com/mholt/caddy/wiki) on this project's GitHub wiki.
## Contributing
This project gladly accepts contributions. Interested users are encouraged to get involved by opening issues with their ideas, questions, and bug reports. Bug reports should contain clear instructions to reproduce the problem and state expected behavior.
For small tweaks and bug fixes, feel free to submit pull requests at any time. For new features or to change existing behavior, please open an issue first to discuss it and claim it. This prevents overlapping efforts and also keeps the project in-line with its goals.
Thanks for making Caddy -- and the Web -- better!
### Contributing
Please get involved! Before adding a new feature or changing existing behavior, open an issue to discuss it. For non-breaking changes and bug fixes, pull requests are accepted. You can also drop a quick [tweet to @mholt6](https://twitter.com/mholt6) for quick feedback or comments.
## About the project
Caddy was born out of the need for a "batteries-included" web server that runs anywhere and doesn't have to take its configuration with it. Caddy took inspiration from nginx, lighttpd, Websocketd, and Vagrant, and provides a pleasant mixture of features from each of them.
### About the project
Caddy was born out of the need for a "batteries-included" web server that runs anywhere and doesn't have to take its configuration with it. Caddy took some inspiration from nginx, lighttpd, Websocketd, and Vagrant, and provides a pleasant mixture of features from each of them. Once announced, Caddy will be suitable for use in both dev and production environments.
