[ECOS] Re: tiny webserver - CGI, SSI directive, and identification

[John Mills]

All -

I'm glad to see this topic -- perhaps it will stir up some good 
discussion.

I added and extended the GoAhead web server in an eCos-based commercial 
embedded product. Specifically, I added binary POST uploads from web 
browsers and set up openSSL server access - other folks have done both and 
most of the patches are available with a bit of web searching.

I would not go that route again. My tradeoff would be:

In favor:
  Code available; eCos and Linux ports both exist; public mailing list 
exists. I was able to get assistance from list members, and I was able to 
debug much of my code with the Linux build which was much faster and 
provided a richer tool set than working strictly on my embedded target. 
The GA server has in fact worked for us, but you have to be very careful 
how you handle patches and modifications if you are under the 'free use' 
(not really 'free source') license.

Against:
  Problematic license; never _ever_ any acknowledgement from GoAhead to our 
inquiries, that we had met our license obligations with my submittal of 
patch tarballs, screen shots, and memos, or even what they would want if 
we were to consider a paid license[!]; low level of user mail-list 
activity; little visibility or discussion of discovered vulnerabilities 
and/or remedies (and the license issue could bite if you have to fix 
something within the GA server that relates to the commercial part of your 
application). I would describe this product[?] as a "loss leader" to get 
prospective customers interested in the company.

Unknown Impact:
  Paid support is apparently avaliable from a software house designated by 
GoAhead. I didn't contact them so I can't speak to this issue, but it was 
one of M. Le Guillou's original questions.

Data Point:
  RTEMS recently removed the GoAhead server from their repertoire ("Tree 
dead at the top", i.e., GoAhead non-responsive), though I don't know if 
the GA sources were ever hosted in the RTEMS tree.

Alternatives:
  I have used the Cirrus/Arm embedded Linux from Technologic Systems which 
includes a port of Apache; this must mean there is a fairly tight version 
that can be built. That might be worth a look. I don't know what RTEMS 
finally selected for inclusion.

Another time I would look closely at the ARM/Apache port.

  - John Mills

On Mon, 6 Sep 2010, Grant Edwards wrote:

> On 2010-09-06, Thomas LE GUILLOU <TLEGUILLOU@markem-imaje.com> wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> I need to add to my eCos solution a tiny web server:
  ...
>> It there a tiny web server of FreeBSD on eCos which was already added by
>> someone? (like tcp stack)
  ...
> The GoAhead web server has a eCos port.  It's pretty old and is now
> unsupported by the original vendor.  There was a wiki page somewhere
> with recent patches.

> It handles CGI and uses a subset of JavaScript for server side
> scripting.  I don't know what "Identification" is.

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