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 Luotonen[2] and Henrik Frystyk Nielsen.[1] Implemented in C, it was the first web server software.

CERN httpd
Original author(s)Tim Berners-Lee,
Ari Luotonen,
Henrik Frystyk Nielsen
Developer(s)CERN / World Wide Web Consortium
Initial release24 December 1990; 33 years ago (1990-12-24)
Final release
3.0A / 15 July 1996; 28 years ago (1996-07-15)[1]
Operating systemUnix, Unix-like
Available inC
TypeWeb server, proxy server
LicenseMIT Copyright Statement with acknowledgement to CERN
Websitewww.w3.org/Daemon/

History

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This NeXT Computer used by Tim Berners-Lee at CERN became the world's first web server

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.[1] Version 0.1 was released in June 1991.[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.[4][5]

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

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

Later versions of the server are based on the libwww library.[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.[1] From 1996 onwards, W3C focused on the development of the Java-based Jigsaw server.[8]

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

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d Official CERN httpd page
  2. ^ a b Kahan, José (5 August 1999). "Why Libwww?". World Wide Web Consortium. Retrieved 15 June 2010.
  3. ^ Change History for httpd
  4. ^ a b Stewart, Bill. "Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau, and the World Wide Web – Web development". Living Internet. Retrieved 26 July 2010.
  5. ^ Tim Berners Lee (20 August 1991). "WorldWideWeb wide-area hypertext app available". CERN. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
  6. ^ "W3C Open Source Software – CERN Server". World Wide Web Consortium. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 23 January 2011.
  7. ^ Robert Cailliau (21 July 2010). "A Short History of the Web". NetValley. Retrieved 21 July 2010.
  8. ^ Baird-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.
  9. ^ The birth of the web Licensing the web on cern.ch (2014, archived)
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