# SERVER INFORMATION

This file describes the server currently
powering gopher.kgivler.com.

For information about the HappyGopher software
itself, see:

/projects/happygopher.txt

For the other public services running alongside
it, see:

/services.txt

# NETWORK

Hostname:
gopher.kgivler.com

Protocol:
Gopher

Port:
TCP 70

Transport security:
None

Standard Gopher traffic is plaintext.

# SOFTWARE

Server:
HappyGopher

Language:
C#

Runtime:
..NET 10

Operating system:
Ubuntu Linux host

Deployment:
Docker Compose

Container:
Linux

Container user:
Non-root .NET application user

# DEPLOYMENT

Host deployment directory:

/opt/joyful-stack

Container application directory:

/app

Production content on host:

/var/lib/happygopher/content

Content inside container:

/app/content

The production content directory is mounted into
the container separately from the sample content
included with HappyGopher.

# HOW IT WORKS

HappyGopher is a direct TCP Gopher server.

There is no web server sitting in front of it.

Clients connect directly to TCP port 70 and speak
Gopher to HappyGopher.

Static content comes from the mounted content
directory.

Directories may contain a custom gophermap or
have a menu generated automatically.

Compiled dynamic pages can also handle exact
selectors before the static filesystem is
checked.

# DYNAMIC CONTENT

This production gopherhole uses dynamic pages for
things including:

/server-time
/qotd
/random-quote
/guestbook
/guestbook/sign

/server-time returns the current server time.

/qotd and /random-quote retrieve quotes from
HappyQOTD.

/guestbook displays guestbook entries.

/guestbook/sign uses Gopher type 7 input to add
an entry.

HappyGopher also provides an operational health
selector which is not normally advertised in the
public menus.

# LIMITS AND SAFETY

HappyGopher places limits on things such as:

* Concurrent connections
* Selector length
* Type 7 input length
* Request time

Selectors are normalized before filesystem
access.

Directory traversal attempts are rejected.

Symbolic links and other filesystem reparse
points are not followed when serving content.

The server also waits for active connections
during graceful shutdown.

# GOPHER OUTPUT

HappyGopher handles protocol details including:

* CRLF line endings
* Dot-stuffing
* Menu formatting
* Menu field sanitization
* Response termination

Gophermaps use actual TAB characters to separate
menu fields.

I have now spent enough time debugging Gopher
clients to feel the need to mention this.

# OBSERVABILITY

HappyGopher sends best-effort request telemetry
to my private Mission Control system.

Telemetry is intentionally non-critical.

If Mission Control disappears, HappyGopher keeps
serving Gopher.

Observability should observe the server, not
become a dependency required to serve a text
file over a protocol from 1991.

# OTHER SERVICES

This VPS runs several other classic Internet
protocol services.

Rather than duplicate the constantly changing
list here, see:

/services.txt

# SOURCE CODE

https://github.com/JoyfulReaper/HappyGopher

License:
MIT

Copyright 2026 Kyle Givler
.