Description

jcomeauictx

opened on Dec 25, 2023

Issue body actions

Feature or enhancement

Proposal:

Allow changing the default mime-type from application/octet-stream, so testing using python -m http.server doesn't automatically download files lacking extensions. Useful for testing with mitmproxy against a fake site copied from the real one.

python3 -m http.server -b 127.0.0.1 -c 'text/html'

Has this already been discussed elsewhere?

This is a minor feature, which does not need previous discussion elsewhere

Links to previous discussion of this feature:

No previous discussion. This feature should not affect any existing code using the main branch of cpython.

Linked PRs

• gh-113471: Add custom default Content-Type to http.server #113475
• gh-113471: adds custom default content-type to http.server #131000

Activity

1. jcomeauictx

   added

   type-featureA feature request or enhancementA feature request or enhancement

   on Dec 25, 2023
2. Eclips4

   added

   stdlibStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directoryStandard Library Python modules in the Lib/ directory

   on Dec 25, 2023
3. jcomeauictx commented on Dec 25, 2023

   

   jcomeauictx

   on Dec 25, 2023

   ContributorAuthor

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   submitting pull request shortly.
4. jcomeauictx

   added a commit that references this issue on Dec 25, 2023

   DRY fix for python#113471

   b945ced
5. jcomeauictx commented on Dec 26, 2023

   

   jcomeauictx

   on Dec 26, 2023 via email

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   text/plain is fine if that's what you want. and application/octet-stream is *still* the default, I haven't changed that. all I changed is the ability to *set* the default for your particular instantiation of the server, from the command line. I only gave text/html as an example because that works for me in my particular application.

   …

   On Tue, Dec 26, 2023 at 9:06 AM David Lord ***@***.***> wrote: Why should the default be text/html? Seems like "we don't know what this is, treat as binary" (application/octet-stream) is a safe assumption, and the next safest would be text/plain to avoid any interpretation of the data. — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#113471 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AABRUXXNTCU3GYKC43I2XC3YLLYWJAVCNFSM6AAAAABBCQBWIWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMYTQNRZGYZTMNJYGI> . You are receiving this because you authored the thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

   -- John Comeau KE5TFZ ***@***.*** http://jc.unternet.net/ "A place for everything, and everything all over the place"
6. hugovk

   added a commit that references this issue on Apr 30, 2026

   gh-113471: Add custom default Content-Type to http.server (#113475)

   cc5f8b5
7. hugovk

   closed this as completedon Apr 30, 2026

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