Version: Nov 29, 2024

Notes: Running on MacOS, getting Python 3 on Homebrew, then creating a script to launch a local server that doesn't cache.

Setting up a local server

1. Get Homebrew

If you don't already a package manager for MacOS, Homebrew is a great choice! even for the M series chips. The provided link goes over how to get that going.If you're not sure if you have Homebrew, try
```
brew --version
```
If you/when you're up,
```
brew update
```

2. Get Python 3

Use the following command to install Python 3:
```
brew install python
```
This will install the latest version of Python 3 and set up symbolic links.

1. Verify Python Installation

Check the installed Python 3 version:
```
python 3 --version
```
Check the path to ensure Homebrew’s Python 3 is being used:
```
which python3
```
The output should be something like:
```
/opt/homebrew/bin/python3
```

2. Update PATH (Optional)

If Python 3 is not recognized after installation, ensure Homebrew’s Python path is added to your PATH variable.

Open your shell configuration file (~/.zshrc for zsh):
```
nano ~/.zshrc
```
Add the following line:
```
export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"
```
Save and exit (Ctrl + X, then Y and Enter)
Apply the changes:
```
source ~/.zshrc
```

3. Install Pip (Optional)

pip (Python's package manager) is typically installed with Python 3. Verify its installation:
```
pip3 --version
```
If its missing, you can install it using:
```
python3 -m ensurepip --upgrade
```

4. Test Python Installation

Run Python interactively to confirm
```
python3
```

You should see a prompt like:

Python 3.x.x (default, ...)
[Clang ...] on darwin
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

Type exit() to leave.

3. Creating the server script

Create a new .py file, and fill in the following:

import http.server
import socketserver
import threading

class NoCacheHTTPRequestHandler(http.server.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):
    def end_headers(self):
        # Add Cache-Control headers to prevent caching
        self.send_header("Cache-Control", "no-cache, no-store, must-revalidate")
        self.send_header("Pragma", "no-cache")
        self.send_header("Expires", "0")
        super().end_headers()

# Define the port
PORT = 8000

def start_server():
    try:
        with socketserver.TCPServer(("", PORT), NoCacheHTTPRequestHandler) as httpd:
            print(f"Serving at http://localhost:{PORT}")
            httpd.serve_forever()
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print("\nServer interrupted. Shutting down gracefully...")
        httpd.server_close()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    # Run the server in a thread for improved responsiveness
    server_thread = threading.Thread(target=start_server, daemon=True)
    server_thread.start()

    try:
        while True:
            pass  # Keep the main thread alive
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        print("\nExiting...")

Then in shell, be in the current directory of your index.html file. If you have the .py file in a different location, then you'll have to state it. In the below example, LocalServer.py is the example file name for the .py file.
```
python /root/usr/your/script/here/LocalServer.py
```
You know you're good if you can open localhost:8000 in a web browser, and your site launches.