Is That A Web Server In Your Pocket?

February 8, 2006 ·

http://www.webservusb.com/WebServeUSB is just that, a web server (and FTP server) that runs on Flash memory on a USB device. Just plug the device into a USB port on a Windows box, and your server will be up and running and ready to respond to requests. It features a web based administrator, can run CGI scripts and server Perl and PHP pages, supports ISAPI, can run Java apps ... all on a USB device (128MB, 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB sizes available). This could be really useful for product demonstrations - imagine being able to walk into a customer location, plug in the USB device, and run your apps. Now, the big questions is whether or not we could get ColdFusion to run on it. Any takers?

18 Comments

Phil Cruz February 9, 2006

Yep, been there done that. I got CFEclipse, BD and Derby under 14MB. http://philcruz.com/blog/2005/01/portable-cfml-development-environment.htm

Campbell February 9, 2006

Hey guys did this a while ago, no where near as complete a solution as this but it was free...... Used Appweb server http://www.appwebserver.org/solutions/spotlight.html Campbell

Steve Nelson February 9, 2006

I agree, it is pretty neat that this is possible, but what in the world use does this have?

Adam Haskell February 9, 2006

Squeezing MX 7 on to the 128mb would be impossible I think. But the concept is old and already been done. Though *cough*bluedragon and railo*cough* were the CF engines I and other have commonly used. Heck BD and railo will run on a 32 mb card. Phil Cruz published some articles in CFDJ about a year back also check out the cfeverywhere google group for more info.

Steve February 9, 2006

Actually, I'm currently working on a LAMBDA distro that will fit on a usb. (Part of a Linux class I'm taking). I'm also working on a distro for a usb that has all the dev tools a CF developer needs. If I get it working I'll let people know.

CT February 9, 2006

I'm sure network/pc admins will just love this products. ;-)

Cutter February 9, 2006

Hey Ben, if Adobe sends me one I'll research it...;)

Ian February 9, 2006

I'm sure a while back someone tried getting CF going on a USB disk along the j2ee route, can't think who mind!

jj February 9, 2006

Still have those old floppy disks of CF? LOL

vishy February 9, 2006

Long back, I remember a student from umass created a webserver on a quarter coin. this may be an extension of it. vishy

Mario Rodrigues February 9, 2006

Hi Ben, I was recently able to do this for a client of mine. I followed the tutorial of CFEveryWhere and was able to load the following: Apache Jetty - Web Server BlueDragon - CFML Engine Apache Derby - DB tool All the user had to do was launch a .bat file, which started the necessary services and opened up a browser window with the start page of the site. This all took up only 80MB of space, so I was able to use a 128MB USB drive. It worked really well as a proof of concept. I still have the thumb drive and was planning on porting my Dashboard product (www.dashboardxm.com) over to it and offer a portable version for users.

David February 10, 2006

Ben, This server runs Java apps....and you're always telling us that ColdFusion IS Java, so if we compiled a CF application to Java byte code and installed it on the USB, it should work...no? Anyone have any idea how data access would work in this instance? For example, if you were to load an access DB on the USB - are admin/data connection settings saved if you save a CF app to java byte code?

johnb February 10, 2006

if you thought that's cool what about this - http://www.projectblackdog.com/ a USB entire Linux server, featuring it's own storage, memory AND CPU all on something the size of a match box!!!!!

Stephen Cassady February 10, 2006

Ben - I seem to remember you talking about this issue before, and I've got to think it's a pet project with you, or at least one of those items that is *oh so tempting*. I would love to see a full CF server implementation (1 GB isn't too expensive now, and will continue to drop, so the concerns about 128MB is like worry about if it fits on a 1.44MB floppy) - on a memory stick. How to do it? I have no idea. But if the idea is to implement for a client, why not just use the "java packaging" with Enterprise and run you stuff that way? I'm sure if the purpose is to plug in at a client site, it's not going to be required to make code work or change ;-) Ahh. Moveing anything to 1GB Memory Sticks. I'm really excited about whan we can move everything to a small package, and just plug into a processor anywhere - destop and drivers tada!

Philippe Maegerman February 13, 2006

Oops I talked too fast, it was too good. "After you register your USB Flash Drive, it can be used on any PC which has the FREE AutoRun USB software installed!" Not the autorun I was exactly expecting ;)) (http://www.torosoftware.com/autorun.asp)

Philippe Maegerman February 13, 2006

I'm running Jetty/CF7/Derby/CFEclipse/Portable Firefox from my USB key, but still have to launch a .bat file and never managed to get it working on a mac, some directories will go uppercase for no reason :(( From what I read here it only supports windolls, but apparently it has AutorunUSB, which sounds pretty cool. "No other USB device has this feature! Even Microsoft says this can't be done! BUT WE DID IT... "

mhenke February 18, 2006

What os are you using for running cf on a usb flash drive?

mhenke February 18, 2006

What os are you using for running cf on a usb flash drive?

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