whp-default-container/README.md

# Web Server Container with Auto-Landing Page

This Docker container provides a web server that automatically checks for content in the web directory and provides a beautiful default landing page if none exists.

## Features

- **Auto-Detection**: Checks if the web directory (`/usr/local/apache2/htdocs`) is empty on startup
- **Default Landing Page**: Automatically copies a modern, responsive landing page if no content exists
- **Non-Destructive**: Only copies the default page if the directory is truly empty
- **Apache Web Server**: Based on the official `httpd:alpine` image for lightweight performance

## How It Works

1. **Startup Check**: When the container starts, it runs a startup script that:
   - Checks if the web directory exists (creates it if needed)
   - Determines if the directory is empty (ignoring hidden files)
   - Copies the default `index.html` if no content is found

2. **Web Server**: After the check, Apache starts normally and serves content from the web directory

3. **Persistence**: If you mount a volume with existing content, the default page won't be copied

## Usage

### Basic Usage
```bash
# Build the container
docker build -t my-web-server .

# Run the container
docker run -p 80:80 my-web-server
```

### With Volume Mount (for persistent content)
```bash
# Mount a local directory to preserve your content
docker run -p 80:80 -v /path/to/your/web/content:/usr/local/apache2/htdocs my-web-server
```

### With Custom Port
```bash
# Run on a different port
docker run -p 8080:80 my-web-server
```

## File Structure

```
.
├── Dockerfile          # Container definition
├── index.html          # Default landing page (beautiful, responsive)
├── scripts/
│   └── startup.sh      # Startup script that handles the logic
└── README.md           # This file
```

## Customization

### Modifying the Default Landing Page
Edit the `index.html` file before building the container. The page includes:
- Modern gradient background
- Responsive design
- Feature cards
- Smooth animations
- Mobile-friendly layout

### Modifying the Startup Logic
Edit `scripts/startup.sh` to change:
- Web directory path
- File detection logic
- Additional initialization steps

## Container Details

- **Base Image**: `httpd:alpine` (lightweight Apache server)
- **Web Directory**: `/usr/local/apache2/htdocs`
- **Default Port**: 80
- **Entrypoint**: `/startup.sh`

## Troubleshooting

### Container Won't Start
- Check that `scripts/startup.sh` is executable: `chmod +x scripts/startup.sh`
- Verify the Dockerfile syntax: `docker build -t test .`

### Default Page Not Appearing
- Check container logs: `docker logs <container_name>`
- Verify the web directory is actually empty
- Ensure no volume is mounted that contains files

### Permission Issues
- The container runs as the default Apache user
- If mounting volumes, ensure proper permissions: `chmod 755 /path/to/web/content`