SWS: The Shell Script as Web Server
Developer Brett Wynkoop has written the code for a simple web server called Simple/Small/Shell Web Server (SWS) in the form of a shell script.
SWS is ideal to serve static content on the web; however, the open source program lacks a CGI-Interface. The script works with Bourne-compatible shells and requires the standard Unix programs dirname, cat, and date. According to Wynkoop, installation consists of putting the program somewhere, making it executable, creating the document directory, and creating an entry in inetd.conf. He has tested his small server in FreeBSD, Solaris, and Linux.
SWS 1.0 creates index pages for directory listings on the fly and includes a "404 Page" for the "File not found" error message. The server is available for download as a stand-alone script and as a tarball, and includes a man page on the SWS-powered project home page.
The SWS is published with a BSD-license.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.
-
AerynOS Alpha Release Available
With a choice of several desktop environments, AerynOS 2025.08 is almost ready to be your next operating system.
-
AUR Repository Still Under DDoS Attack
Arch User Repository continues to be under a DDoS attack that has been going on for more than two weeks.
-
RingReaper Malware Poses Danger to Linux Systems
A new kind of malware exploits modern Linux kernels for I/O operations.
-
Happy Birthday, Linux
On August 25, Linux officially turns 34.
-
VirtualBox 7.2 Has Arrived
With early support for Linux kernel 6.17 and other new additions, VirtualBox 7.2 is a must-update for users.
-
Linux Mint 22.2 Beta Available for Testing
Some interesting new additions and improvements are coming to Linux Mint. Check out the Linux Mint 22.2 Beta to give it a test run.