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servery

A zero-dependency, pure-Python HTTP file server — a batteries-included python -m http.server.

Serve or share a directory over HTTP with the niceties people expect from tools like miniserve or npx serve — rich sortable directory listings, uploads, HTTP Basic Auth, HTTPS (including automatic Let's Encrypt certificates), range/resumable downloads, on-the-fly archives, WebDAV, even HTTP/2 — while the core depends on nothing but the Python standard library.

Run it right now — no install

# with uv — fetches a matching Python and runs servery, nothing to install:
uvx servery ./public --port 8000

# …or one self-contained file, straight from a pipe (latest release):
curl -fsSL https://github.com/mjbommar/servery/releases/latest/download/servery.py | python3 - ./public -p 8000

uvx (from uv) is the easiest path — it manages Python for you. The piped servery.py is the released package amalgamated into one auditable file (pure stdlib): inspect it first if you like (curl -fsSL <url> | less), pin a version (…/releases/download/v1.3.0/servery.py), or grab the servery.pyz zipapp.

$ servery                                  # serve the current directory on http://127.0.0.1:8000
$ servery ./public --port 9000
$ servery --upload --auth me:secret        # password-protected drop box
$ servery --acme example.com               # automatic, browser-trusted HTTPS
$ servery --dav --dav-write --auth me:s3cret  # mount it as a network drive

Why servery?

  • Zero dependencies

    The core installs nothing from PyPI — enforced by a CI gate. One uvx servery (or pip install), or no install at all via the single-file bundle.

    The principles

  • Batteries included

    Listings, uploads, auth, HTTPS, ACME, WebDAV, gzip, ranges, archives, CORS, SPA, HTTP/2 — the things python -m http.server makes you go without.

    Getting started

  • Safe by default

    Binds loopback, blocks path traversal and symlink escapes, defaults a socket timeout, and shouts when you expose it without TLS.

    Architecture & security

  • Free-threading ready

    Runs under the no-GIL CPython builds (3.13t/3.14t): immutable config, no module-level mutable state.

    Transports

Install

uvx servery                  # run ad-hoc, nothing installed
uv tool install servery      # …or install the command persistently

New to uv? curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh.

pip install servery          # core: zero dependencies
pip install servery[http3]   # optional HTTP/3 (aioquic)

curl -fsSL https://github.com/mjbommar/servery/releases/latest/download/servery.py -o servery.py
python3 servery.py ./public

Python 3.13+ (free-threaded builds supported).

Where to next

  • New here? Start with Getting started.
  • Want the philosophy? Read the Vision & goals.
  • Building on it? servery is also a small library — from servery import Config, serve.

It lives in the file-server lane

servery shares a folder over HTTP — it is not a web framework. There is no routing or app-building in the core (though you can mount a WSGI/ASGI/CGI app). It is a dev / LAN / ad-hoc sharing tool, not a hardened public-internet server.