Re: [gentoo-user] The SIMPLEST web server to config (this time - just for serving video files) ?

[Mick]

On Sunday 13 Nov 2011 18:21:17 Mark Knecht wrote:
> Hi,
>    Pandu asked a similar question a few days ago about serving up
> files, but mostly for distfiles IIRC. It got me thinking about doing
> the same sort of thing, but this time to serve up MP4 video files for
> my Kindle Fire as well as other computers on _only_ my home network.
> Sort of an in-house Mark's Watch Instantly setup. I've now got a few
> hundred gigabyte of mp4 files ripped with Grant's suggested app
> Handbrake. They look good on my desktop playing in xine. When the
> Kindle Fire arrives I'd like to have a web server running on my
> private network that Silk (Amazon's KF broswer) could access, possibly
> presenting nothing but the alphabetical folders that the video files
> are in, and then if I select one it starts streaming that file.
>
>    My main issue isn't really the lightest in terms of memory or CPU
> usage, but rather something that's VERY easy to setup the config so
> that I don't have to spend much time reading manuals.
>
>    From browsing around a lot of pages on the web it seems that there
> are a number of small & light servers (in terms of memory anyway) in
> portage. Some names: fnord, thttpd, boa, monkeyd & cherokee. Does
> anyone know if one of those would fit my main need of just being
> extremely simple to setup and keep running for this one purpose?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Mark

Both thttpd and boa that I am using are extremely simple to configure - just a 
few lines in their config files and your iptables rules to allow access from 
your LAN, or from a particular IP address.  Apache is also not *too* 
complicated, although it is more work for sure and much more demanding on 
resources.  Certainly an overkill for your needs.

lighttpd is another feature rich alternative, not as small footprint, but in 
some tests marginally faster than thttpd.  monkeyd also quite fast.

If your priorities are low demand on resources on the host PC and a high 
response/throughput speed for single threads, then I'd say give boa a spin.  
If you will be connecting in parallel with multiple clients check lighttpd, or 
thttpd.

If you are keen on exotica consider nginx, or G-WAN, but their configuration 
may be more involved.
-- 
Regards,
Mick