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[](https://www.npmjs.org/package/local-web-server)
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[](https://www.npmjs.org/package/local-web-server)
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[](https://david-dm.org/75lb/local-web-server)
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local-web-server
================
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Fires up a simple, static web server on a given port. Use for local web development or file sharing (directory browsing enabled).
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Install
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-------
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Ensure [node.js ](http://nodejs.org ) is installed first. Linux/Mac users may need to run the following commands with `sudo` .
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##As a global command
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```sh
$ npm install -g local-web-server
```
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##As a server deployed with your project
```sh
$ npm install local-web-server --save-dev
```
Then add an `npm start` script to your `package.json` , the standard npm approach:
```json
"scripts": {
"start": "ws"
}
```
This simplifies a set of rather specific looking install instructions like:
```sh
$ npm install
$ npm install -g local-web-server
$ ws
```
to the following, server implementation and launch details abstracted away:
```sh
$ npm install
$ npm start
```
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Usage
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-----
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```
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Usage
$ ws < server options >
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$ ws --config
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$ ws --help
Server
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-p, --port < number > Web server port
-f, --log-format < string > If a format is supplied an access log is written to stdout. If not,
a statistics view is displayed. Use a preset ('none', 'dev',
'default', 'short', 'tiny' or 'logstalgia') or supply a custom format
(e.g. ':method -> :url').
-d, --directory < string > Root directory, defaults to the current directory
-c, --compress Enables compression
-r, --refresh-rate < number > Statistics view refresh rate in ms. Defaults to 500.
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Misc
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-h, --help Print these usage instructions
--config Print the stored config
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```
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From the folder you wish to serve, run:
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```sh
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$ ws
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serving at http://localhost:8000
```
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If you wish to serve a different directory, run:
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```sh
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$ ws -d ~/mysite/
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serving /Users/Lloyd/mysite at http://localhost:8000
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```
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If you wish to override the default port (8000), use `--port` or `-p` :
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```sh
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$ ws --port 9000
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serving at http://localhost:9000
```
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To add compression, reducing bandwidth, increasing page load time (by 10-15% on my Macbook Air)
```sh
$ ws --compress
```
###Logging
Passing a value to `--log-format` will write an access log to `stdout` .
Either use a built-in [morgan ](https://github.com/expressjs/morgan ) logger preset:
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```sh
$ ws --log-format short
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```
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Or a custom [morgan ](https://github.com/expressjs/morgan ) log format:
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```sh
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$ ws -f ':method -> :url'
```
Or silence:
```sh
$ ws -f none
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```
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Storing default options
-----------------------
To store per-project options, saving you the hassle of inputting them everytime, store them in the `local-web-server` property of your project's `package.json` :
```json
{
"name": "my-project",
"version": "0.11.8",
"local-web-server":{
"port": 8100
}
}
```
Or in a `.local-web-server.json` file stored in the directory you want to serve (typically the root folder of your site):
```json
{
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"port": 8100,
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"log-format": "tiny"
}
```
Or store global defaults in a `.local-web-server.json` file in your home directory.
```json
{
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"port": 3000,
"refresh-rate": 1000
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}
```
All stored defaults are overriden by options supplied at the command line.
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To view your stored defaults, run:
```sh
$ ws --config
```
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##Deploy the web server with your project
It's quite common to see a set of installation instructions like this:
```sh
$ npm install
$ npm install -g
```
##Use with Logstalgia
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local-web-server is compatible with [logstalgia ](http://code.google.com/p/logstalgia/ ).
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###Install Logstalgia
On MacOSX, install with [homebrew ](http://brew.sh ):
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```sh
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$ brew install logstalgia
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```
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Alternatively, [download a release for your system from github ](https://github.com/acaudwell/Logstalgia/releases/latest ).
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Then pipe the `logstalgia` output format directly into logstalgia for real-time visualisation:
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```sh
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$ ws -f logstalgia | logstalgia -
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```
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Use with glTail
---------------
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To use with [glTail ](http://www.fudgie.org ), write your log to disk using the "default" format:
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```sh
$ ws -f default > web.log
```
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Then specify this file in your glTail config:
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```yaml
servers:
dev:
host: localhost
source: local
files: /Users/Lloyd/Documents/MySite/web.log
parser: apache
color: 0.2, 0.2, 1.0, 1.0
```