Using the updog Command (with examples)

Starting a HTTP server for the current directory

To start a HTTP server for the current directory, you can simply run the updog command without any additional arguments.

$ updog

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to quickly share files or resources with others on your local network. By running a HTTP server for the current directory, you can easily provide access to the files in that directory to anyone who has the server’s URL.

Explanation: Running updog without any arguments starts a HTTP server for the current directory. The server will use the default port (8000) and won’t require any authentication.

Example Output: The output will display the URL(s) where the server is running. For example:

Server running on:
  http://[::]:8000/
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/

Starting a HTTP server for a specified directory

If you want to start a HTTP server for a specific directory, you can use the --directory option followed by the path to the desired directory.

$ updog --directory /path/to/directory

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to serve files from a specific directory rather than the current working directory. You may have files stored in different directories and want to serve them individually using separate updog instances.

Explanation: The --directory option allows you to specify the directory that you want to serve. Replace /path/to/directory with the actual path to the desired directory.

Example Output: The output will display the URL(s) where the server is running, and the specified directory will be served. For example:

Server running on:
  http://[::]:8000/
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Serving directory: /path/to/directory

Starting a HTTP server on a specified port

To start a HTTP server on a specific port, you can use the --port option followed by the desired port number.

$ updog --port 8080

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to use a different port for your HTTP server. The default port is 8000, but sometimes that port may be already in use by another application or service on your system. By specifying a different port, you can avoid conflicts and ensure your HTTP server runs without issues.

Explanation: The --port option allows you to specify the port number for the HTTP server. Replace port with the desired port number, such as 8080.

Example Output: The output will display the URL(s) where the server is running, and the server will be accessible on the specified port. For example:

Server running on:
  http://[::]:8080/
  http://127.0.0.1:8080/

Starting a HTTP server with a password

To start a HTTP server with a password, you can use the --password option followed by the desired password.

$ updog --password password

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to restrict access to your HTTP server by requiring a password. By setting a password, only users who know the correct password will be able to access the server and its contents.

Explanation: The --password option allows you to set a password for the HTTP server. Replace password with the desired password. To log in, users can leave the username blank and enter the password in the password field.

Example Output: The output will display the URL(s) where the server is running, and users will be prompted for a password when accessing the server. For example:

Server running on:
  http://[::]:8000/
  http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Password: *****

Enabling transport encryption via SSL

To enable transport encryption via SSL, you can use the --ssl option.

$ updog --ssl

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to secure the communication between the server and clients by using HTTPS instead of plain HTTP. Enabling SSL ensures that the data transmitted over the network is encrypted and protected from unauthorized access.

Explanation: The --ssl option enables transport encryption via SSL for the HTTP server. With SSL enabled, the server will use HTTPS instead of HTTP.

Example Output: The output will display the URL(s) where the server is running, and the server will be accessible via HTTPS. For example:

Server running on:
  https://[::]:8000/
  https://127.0.0.1:8000/

Conclusion

In this article, we explored different use cases of the updog command. We covered starting a HTTP server for the current directory, starting a server for a specified directory, defining a custom port for the server, setting a password for the server, and enabling SSL for encrypted communication. Depending on your needs, you can use these examples to easily share files, add authentication, and secure your HTTP server. The updog command is a versatile tool that allows for quick and convenient file sharing over HTTP/S.