Micron Document




CERN httpd
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CERN httpd (later also known as W3C httpd) is an early, now discontinued, web server (HTTP) daemon originally developed at CERN from 1990 onwards by Tim Berners-Lee, Ari Luotonencite-ref-why-2-0[2] and Henrik Frystyk Nielsen.cite-ref-w3c-1-1[1] Implemented in C, it was the first web server software.

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History

CERN httpd was originally developed on a NeXT Computer running NeXTSTEP, and was later ported to other Unix-like operating systems, OpenVMS and systems with unix emulation layers, e.g. OS/2 with emx+gcc. It could also be configured as a web proxy server.cite-ref-w3c-1-2[1] Version 0.1 was released in June 1991.cite-ref-3[3] In August 1991, Berners-Lee announced in the Usenet newsgroup alt.hypertext the availability of the source code of the server daemon (named WWWDaemon) and other World Wide Web software from the CERN FTP site.cite-ref-usenet-4-0[4]cite-ref-web-server-announcement-5-0[5]

The original, first generation HTTP server which some call the Volkswagen of the Web.cite-ref-6[6]

The server was presented on the Hypertext 91 conference in San Antonio and was part of the CERN Program Library (CERNLIB).cite-ref-usenet-4-1[4]cite-ref-7[7]

Later versions of the server are based on the libwww library.cite-ref-why-2-1[2] The development of CERN httpd was later taken over by World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), with the last release being version 3.0A of 15 July 1996.cite-ref-w3c-1-3[1] From 1996 onwards, W3C focused on the development of the Java-based Jigsaw server.cite-ref-8[8]

The initial version was public domain software; the last one was under an MIT License.cite-ref-9[9]

See also

Web accelerator, which discusses host-based HTTP acceleration
Proxy server, which discusses client-side proxies
Reverse proxy, which discusses origin-side proxies

References

cite-note-w3c-11. Official CERN httpd page
cite-note-why-22. citerefkahan1999Kahan, José (5 August 1999). "Why Libwww?". World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
cite-note-33. Change History for httpd
cite-note-usenet-44. citerefstewartStewart, Bill. "Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau, and the World Wide Web – Web development". Living Internet. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
cite-note-web-server-announcement-55. citereftim-berners-lee1991Tim Berners Lee (20 August 1991). "WorldWideWeb wide-area hypertext app available". CERN. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
cite-note-66. "W3C Open Source Software – CERN Server". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
cite-note-77. citerefrobert-cailliau2010Robert Cailliau (21 July 2010). "A Short History of the Web". NetValley. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
cite-note-88. citerefbaird-smith1996Baird-Smith, Anselm (April 1996). "W3C Activity: The CERN server". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
cite-note-99. The birth of the web Licensing the web on cern.ch (2014, archived)

External links

• The historic W3C page for httpd
• The historic web site in the W3C archive of November 1992
• CERN republished her first website.