§2023-04-12

• Caddy Server Home Site

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One popular and lightweight web server that can render Markdown files on the fly and list directories is called "Caddy". Caddy is an open-source, HTTP/2-enabled web server that comes with many useful features, including support for Markdown rendering and directory listing.

Here's how you can use Caddy to serve a directory of Markdown files:

• Install Caddy on your server. You can download the appropriate binary for your operating system from the official Caddy website.

• Create a new file called Caddyfile in the directory you want to serve. This file will contain the configuration for Caddy.

• Add the following lines to your Caddyfile:

:8080 {
    root * /path/to/your/directory
    browse
    markdown
}

- This configuration tells Caddy to serve the contents of /path/to/your/directory on port 8080, enable directory browsing (browse), and render Markdown files (markdown) on the fly.

• Start the Caddy server by running the following command in your terminal:

caddy start

- Your Markdown files should now be accessible at http://localhost:8080/.

Note that you can customize the look and feel of the directory listing and the Markdown rendering by adding additional configuration options to your Caddyfile. Check out the official Caddy documentation for more information.

• Caddy and xcaddy are two related but distinct projects in the context of web servers.

  • Caddy: Caddy is an open-source web server and reverse proxy that is known for its simplicity and ease of use. It is designed to be self-contained and includes many features out of the box, such as automatic HTTPS (via Let's Encrypt), HTTP/2, reverse proxying, and more. Caddy's configuration is written in a concise and human-friendly Caddyfile format, which makes it easy to set up and configure. It aims to provide a smooth and streamlined experience for developers and system administrators.

  • Xcaddy: Xcaddy is a complementary project to Caddy. It is a tool that allows users to build custom versions of Caddy with additional plugins and modules. With Xcaddy, you can select and include specific Caddy modules that you need for your use case, effectively extending Caddy's functionality. This approach allows you to create a custom-tailored version of Caddy that includes only the features you require, reducing the server's footprint and complexity.

In summary, Caddy is a full-featured web server known for its simplicity and ease of use, while Xcaddy is a tool that helps you build custom versions of Caddy with specific plugins and modules.