The sys admin's daily grind – Gatling
Apache Under Fire
Western aficionados and sys admin Charly are about to set up a Gatling in a field that is normally home to Apache. Read on to discover why blogger Fefe is to blame.
I admit to watching (too) many westerns as a child; in other words, I'm fully aware of what a Gatling gun is: an automatic weapon with multiple rotating barrels. In old movies, soldiers used its infernal din to send the horses of attacking Apaches galloping mad. And, this always worked until an Apache warrior crept up from behind and torched the ammunition chest.
As a rapid fire weapon, the Gatling lends its name to the web server I will be looking at today. The server's binary file is a lightweight compared with its name giver, weighing in at just 100KB. Its RAM requirements are minimal, too, because Gatling [1] does not fork. On an old PC, Gatling is just as fast as on my Raspberry Pi. The daemon is even included with the plain vanilla Raspbian distribution.
The server is designed for delivering static web pages as quickly as possible. To allow this to happen, its programmer, Felix "Fefe" von Leitner, whose widely read blog [2] naturally also runs on Gatling, gave the server just as many features as the number of shells you could slot into a revolver (IPv6, TLS/SSL, simply equipped virtual hosts, login via the .htaccess
mechanism).
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
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
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.