[Discussion on reddit](http://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/1fs45z/list_of_ad_hoc_http_server_oneliners/).

Each of these commands will run an ad hoc http static file server in your current (or specified) directory. Use this power wisely.

**Python 2.x**

```shell
$ python -m SimpleHTTPServer 8000
```

**Python 3.x**

```shell
$ python -m http.server 8000
```

**Twisted (Python)**

Depends on [Twisted](http://twistedmatrix.com/trac/wiki/Downloads).

```shell
$ python -c 'from twisted.web.server import Site; from twisted.web.static import File; from twisted.internet import reactor; reactor.listenTCP(8000, Site(File("."))); reactor.run()'
```

**Ruby**

Credit: [Barking Iguana](http://barkingiguana.com/2010/04/11/a-one-line-web-server-in-ruby/)

```shell
$ ruby -rwebrick -e'WEBrick::HTTPServer.new(:Port => 8000, :DocumentRoot => Dir.pwd).start'
```

**adsf (Ruby)**

Credit: [@twome](https://gist.github.com/willurd/5720255/#comment-841393)

No directory listings.

```shell
$ gem install adsf   # install dependency
$ adsf -p 8000
```

**Perl**

Credit: [Anonymous Monk](http://www.perlmonks.org/?node_id=865239)

```shell
$ cpan HTTP::Server::Brick   # install dependency
$ perl -MHTTP::Server::Brick -e '$s=HTTP::Server::Brick->new(port=>8000); $s->mount("/"=>{path=>"."}); $s->start'
```

**Plack (Perl)**

Credit: [miyagawa](http://advent.plackperl.org/2009/12/day-5-run-a-static-file-web-server-with-plack.html)

```shell
$ cpan Plack   # install dependency
$ plackup -MPlack::App::Directory -e 'Plack::App::Directory->new(root=>".");' -p 8000
```

**Mojolicious (Perl)**

No directory listings.

```shell
$ cpan Mojolicious::Lite   # install dependency
$ perl -MMojolicious::Lite -MCwd -e 'app->static->paths->[0]=getcwd; app->start' daemon -l http://*:8000
```

**Node.js #1**

```shell
$ npm install -g http-server   # install dependency
$ http-server -p 8000
```

**Node.js #2**

No directory listings.

```shell
$ npm install -g node-static   # install dependency
$ static -p 8000
```

**PHP >= 5.4**

Credit: [/u/prawnsalad](http://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/1fs45z/list_of_ad_hoc_http_server_oneliners/cad9ew3), [@MattLicense](https://gist.github.com/willurd/5720255#comment-841131)

No directory listings.

```shell
$ php -S 127.0.0.1:8000
```

**Erlang**

Credit: [@nivertech](https://gist.github.com/willurd/5720255/#comment-841166) (with the addition of some basic mime types)

No directory listings.

```shell
$ erl -s inets -eval 'inets:start(httpd,[{server_name,"NAME"},{document_root, "."},{server_root, "."},{port, 8000},{mime_types,[{"html","text/html"},{"htm","text/html"},{"js","text/javascript"},{"css","text/css"},{"gif","image/gif"},{"jpg","image/jpeg"},{"jpeg","image/jpeg"},{"png","image/png"}]}]).'
```

**IIS Express**

Credit: [/u/fjantomen](http://www.reddit.com/r/webdev/comments/1fs45z/list_of_ad_hoc_http_server_oneliners/cada8no)

No directory listings. `/path` *must* be an absolute path.

Depends on [IIS Express](http://www.iis.net/learn/extensions/introduction-to-iis-express/iis-express-overview).

```shell
C:\> "C:\Program Files (x86)\IIS Express\iisexpress.exe" /path:C:\MyWeb /port:8000
```

# Meta

If you have any suggestions, drop them in the comments below or on the reddit discussion. To get on this list, a solution must:

1. serve static files using your current directory (or a specified directory) as the server root,
2. be able to be run with a single, one line command (dependencies are fine if they're a one-time thing),
3. serve basic file types (html, css, js, images) with proper mime types,
4. require no configuration (from files or otherwise) beyond the command itself (no framework-specific servers, etc)