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httpuv

DEVOPS
Velocity0.0

Low-level HTTP and WebSocket server for R built on libuv

github.com/rstudio/httpuv ↗

httpuv ships almost nothing, which is what you want from the web server under Shiny

web-serverwebsocketsshinymaintenancetoolchain
◆Current state
httpuv is the C++ HTTP and WebSocket server that Shiny runs on. Across this window it added exactly one user-facing function - runStaticServer() for serving a directory - and spent every other release on race conditions, compiler and linker changes, CRAN check warnings, and mime type table updates.
◆Where it's heading
There is no direction here in the usual sense, and that is the honest read: the package is a stable foundation whose releases are triggered by the toolchain moving, by R-devel warnings, or by a threading bug surfacing under load. The one recurring theme with substance is connection reliability - WebSocket keepalive pings, race conditions in the I/O thread - which is what actually breaks Shiny apps in production.
◆Prediction
Expect continued small releases tracking Rtools, R-devel and mime data, with any substantive change most likely coming from a threading or WebSocket issue reported by Shiny users rather than from planned work.

◆Recent moves

  1. 1y ago

    Serves .wasm as application/wasm; mime table refreshed

    A mime type entry for WebAssembly files and a refresh of the lookup table from the mime package. Small, though it is what lets a Shiny or static server host wasm assets without extra configuration.

    View source ↗
  2. 2y ago

    runStaticServer() survives a failed browser launch

    Serving no longer fails outright when the requested browser cannot be opened, plus more accurate port-availability testing on FreeBSD. Cleanup on the function added in 1.6.12.

    View source ↗
  3. 2y ago

    Rtools build file update and macOS zlib linking fix

    Build-system only: an updated Makevars for an upcoming Rtools release and a zlib linking fix on macOS. A release that exists because the toolchain moved.

    View source ↗
  4. 2y ago

    Fixes an R CMD check warning on error format strings

    A single fix for an R-devel check warning about error format strings. Typical of how often this package ships purely to stay compliant.

    View source ↗
  5. 2y ago

    runStaticServer() serves a directory of static files

    The only new capability in this entire window: a direct interface for serving a directory of static files, without constructing an app object. It also drops a compatibility workaround for Shiny versions older than 1.0.6.

    View source ↗
  6. 3y ago

    Fixes a race condition introduced in 1.6.10

    A four-day turnaround on a race condition introduced by the previous release's WebSocket keepalive work, plus CRAN-requested hygiene. Threading bugs are the one category here that reaches users.

    View source ↗