Vanilla Node.js Static File Server

A custom static file server built entirely in vanilla Node.js (no frameworks). This project implements core server functionalities similar to Apache or Nginx, demonstrating low-level Node.js expertise.

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Features

• ✅ Static File Serving – Serves HTML, CSS, JS, images, and other file types.
• ✅ MIME Type Detection – Automatically sets correct Content-Type headers using the mime package.
• ✅ Directory Listing – Dynamic index pages with file/folder icons (📄 / 📁).
• ✅ Custom 404 Page – Handles missing files with a user-defined error page.
• ✅ Error Logging – Logs errors and access requests separately in /logs.
• ✅ Graceful Error Handling – Handles uncaughtException and unhandledRejection globally.
• ✅ Configurable via config.json – Easily modify ports, root directory, log files, fallback MIME type, and error page.

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📂 Project Structure

• logs/ – Stores access & error logs
  • access.log
  • error.log
• public/ – Static files
  • 404.html
  • index.html
  • main.css
  • script.js
  • img.png
• utilities/ – Helper utilities
  • writeLog.js
• .env.local – Optional environment variables
• .gitignore – Git ignore rules
• config.json – Server configuration
• mimeTypes.js – MIME type mappings
• package.json – Project metadata & dependencies
• package-lock.json
• server.js – Main server implementation
• README.md

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⚙️ Configuration

Modify config.json to change server settings:

{
  "port": 3000,
  "root": "./public",
  "errorPage": "404.html",
  "fallbackMime": "application/octet-stream",
  "enableGzip": true,
  "logs": {
    "access": "./logs/access.log",
    "error": "./logs/error.log"
  }
}

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🛠 Installation

Follow these steps to set up and run the server locally:

# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/node-static-server.git
cd node-static-server

# 2. Install dependencies
npm install mime dotenv

# 3. (Optional) Create .env.local file for custom environment variables
# Example:
# PORT=3000
# ROOT_DIR=public

# 4. (Optional) Edit config.json to change:
# - Server port
# - Static files directory (rootDir)
# - Logs directory (logsDir)
# - Custom 404 page path
# - Fallback MIME type

# 5. Run the server
node server.js

# 6. Access in your browser
# http://localhost:3000

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▶️ Usage

# Start the server
node server.js

# The server will:
# - Read the port from .env.local or config.json
# - Serve files from the /public directory by default

# Open in your browser:
http://localhost:3000

# Logs:
# - Access logs: logs/access.log
# - Error logs: logs/error.log

# To customize:
# - Edit config.json for port, rootDir, logsDir, custom 404 page, and fallback MIME type.
# - Use .env.local to override defaults quickly (example: PORT=4000).