{{Short description|Early web server}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}} {{Infobox software | name = CERN httpd | logo = Httpd48x.gif | screenshot = | caption = | author = Tim Berners-Lee,<br />Ari Luotonen,<br />Henrik Frystyk Nielsen | developer = CERN / World Wide Web Consortium | released = {{Start date and age|1990|12|24|df=yes}} | latest release version = 3.0A | latest release date = {{Start date and age|1996|07|15|df=yes}}<ref name="w3c"/> | operating system = Unix, Unix-like | platform = | language = C | discontinued = yes | genre = Web server, proxy server | license = [http://www.w3.org/COPYRIGHT.html MIT Copyright Statement] with acknowledgement to [http://www.w3.org/CERN.html CERN] | website = {{URL|https://www.w3.org/Daemon/}} }} '''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<ref name="why" /> and Henrik Frystyk Nielsen.<ref name="w3c">[http://www.w3.org/Daemon/ Official CERN httpd page]</ref> Implemented in C, it was the first web server software.

== History == [[File:At Geneva 2024 444.jpg|thumb|right|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.<ref name="w3c"/> Version 0.1 was released in June 1991.<ref>[http://www.w3.org/Daemon/Features.html Change History for httpd]</ref> 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.<ref name="usenet">{{cite web|title=Tim Berners-Lee, Robert Cailliau, and the World Wide Web – Web development|url=http://www.livinginternet.com/w/wi_lee.htm#dev|access-date=26 July 2010|first=Bill|last=Stewart|publisher=Living Internet}}</ref><ref name="web-server-announcement">{{Cite web|url=https://groups.google.com/g/comp.sys.next.announce/c/avWAjISncfw?pli=1|title=WorldWideWeb wide-area hypertext app available|author=Tim Berners Lee|publisher=CERN|date=1991-08-20|access-date=2021-11-15|language=en}}</ref>

{{quote box|width = 200px|The original, first generation HTTP server which some call the Volkswagen of the Web.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=World Wide Web Consortium|access-date=23 January 2011|url=http://www.w3.org/Status#CERN|title=W3C Open Source Software – CERN Server|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211145111/http://www.w3.org/Status#CERN|archive-date=11 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>}} The server was presented on the Hypertext 91 conference in San Antonio and was part of the CERN Program Library (CERNLIB).<ref name="usenet"/><ref>{{cite web|title=A Short History of the Web|url=http://www.netvalley.com/archives/mirrors/robert_cailliau_speech.htm |publisher=NetValley|access-date=21 July 2010|author=Robert Cailliau|date=21 July 2010}}</ref>

Later versions of the server are based on the libwww library.<ref name="why">{{cite web|title=Why Libwww?|url=http://www.w3.org/Library/Activity.html|access-date=15 June 2010|date=5 August 1999|first=José|last=Kahan|publisher=World Wide Web Consortium}}</ref> 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.<ref name="w3c"/> From 1996 onwards, W3C focused on the development of the Java-based Jigsaw server.<ref>{{cite web|last=Baird-Smith|first=Anselm|title=W3C Activity: The CERN server|url=http://www.w3.org/Daemon/Activity.html|publisher=World Wide Web Consortium|access-date=21 July 2010|date=April 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213113845/http://www.w3.org/Daemon/Activity.html|archive-date=13 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The initial version was public domain software; the last one was under an MIT License.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140817185526/http://home.web.cern.ch/topics/birth-web/licensing-web The birth of the web Licensing the web] on cern.ch (2014, archived)</ref>

== Java rewrite == {{Infobox software | title = Jigsaw | logo = | screenshot = | author = Yves Lafon | developer = Jigsaw Team | discontinued = yes | latest release version = 2.2.6 (April 10, 2007) | programming language = Java | platform = Java | replaces = CERN httpd | standard = HTTP/1.1 | genre = Web server | website = {{URL|https://www.w3.org/Jigsaw/}} }}

'''Jigsaw''' is a web server software written in Java. It is the successor to CERN httpd, the first web server software ever, and was developed by the World Wide Web Consortium.

Jigsaw supports HTTP/1.1 and is a reference implementation for the W3C and an experimental platform for the Internet community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jigsaw Activity Statement |url=https://www.w3.org/Jigsaw/Activity.html |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=www.w3.org}}</ref> The server is configurable via HTML forms, and new Java classes can be added during operation.<ref>{{cite magazine|access-date=2024-02-03 |title=Puzzle in 14 Minuten |url=https://www.heise.de/ix/artikel/Puzzle-in-14-Minuten-505258.html |website=heise.de|date=17 August 1996 |volume=1996 |issue=9 |page=108 |last1=Klute |first1=Rainer}} Artikel-Archiv iX 9/1996, Seite 108</ref>

The first released version was 1.0alpha1 and appeared in June 1996. Version 2.0.0 was completed on December 24, 1998. The last released version is 2.2.6 from April 10, 2007.

== See also == {{Portal|Free and open-source software}} * CERN * Web server * Comparison of web server software * Apache Traffic Server * Web accelerator, which discusses host-based HTTP acceleration * Proxy server, which discusses client-side proxies * Reverse proxy, which discusses origin-side proxies

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [https://www.w3.org/Daemon/ The historic W3C page for httpd] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20170926223430/http://www.w3.org/History/19921103-hypertext/hypertext/WWW/Daemon/Basic.html The historic web site in the W3C archive of November 1992] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20150717103715/http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html CERN republished her first website.] * [https://www.w3.org/Jigsaw/ Homepage of W3C-Jigsaw Project] * [https://www.w3.org/Daemon/ Homepage of CERN httpd]

{{Web server software}} {{W3C standards}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cern Httpd}} Category:Free web server software Category:Discontinued software Category:History of the Internet Category:Software using the MIT license Category:Public-domain software with source code Category:CERN software