unable to use serve as a http server if site-url is required

[8de2fdb0]

The code snippet makes it impossible to use the serve command to be used as a http server.
It is pretty handy if you want to also watch for changes.

I guess there is a reason for overwriting site-url here, is that still necessary?

mdBook/src/cmd/serve.rs

Line 67 in e8dff6f

book.config.set("output.html.site-url", "/").unwrap();

[8de2fdb0]

I see it is not a real site-url, maybe update the name to 404_page_site_url to emphasise the intended use.

[8de2fdb0]

ok upon further look, it is not too difficult to make site-url working for all rendered templates

I attach a patch for v0.4.51, in case someone needs it or you thinking about adding it to mdbook.

diff --git a/src/cmd/serve.rs b/src/cmd/serve.rs
index 7b1ccab..ce9b6e3 100644
--- a/src/cmd/serve.rs
+++ b/src/cmd/serve.rs
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ pub fn execute(args: &ArgMatches) -> Result<()> {
         if let Some(dest_dir) = args.get_one::<PathBuf>("dest-dir") {
             book.config.build.build_dir = dest_dir.into();
         }
-        // Override site-url for local serving of the 404 file
-        book.config.set("output.html.site-url", "/").unwrap();
     };
     update_config(&mut book);
     book.build()?;
diff --git a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
index a144b32..5116bbe 100644
--- a/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
+++ b/src/renderer/html_handlebars/hbs_renderer.rs
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ impl HtmlHandlebars {
             ch.name.clone() + " - " + book_title
         };

+       if let Some(base_url) = &ctx.html_config.site_url {
+            ctx.data.insert("base_url".to_owned(), json!(base_url));
+        }
+
         ctx.data.insert("path".to_owned(), json!(path));
         ctx.data.insert("content".to_owned(), json!(content));
         ctx.data.insert("chapter_title".to_owned(), json!(ch.name));

[szabgab]

For me running mdbook serve --open works.

What do you mean by "unable to use serve as a http server if site-url is required"
What did you try to do that did not work?

[8de2fdb0]

I mean if I want to service it behind a http://127.0.0.1/example_path. I have a docker container running where i serve it inside and it watches for file changes on the filesystem.

[szabgab]

So if I understand it correctly you'd like the mdbook serve command to server the book at http://127.0.0.1/example_path and not at http://127.0.0.1/ right?

Why is that useful and how is that related to docker?

[szabgab]

BTW as I can see the output.html.site-url configurtion parameter only impacts the 404 page no other pages.

[8de2fdb0]

Well i guess it is related to my personal use case, I use it to serve the mdbook, from a host that serves different things behind a proxy that uses domain.com/sub_path to serve different applications. I run it with the cli so i can use the --watch and have changes recreate the file structure.

Anyway maybe mdbook isn't the right choice for that, but naming of that specific config is a bit confusing in

• https://rust-lang.github.io/mdBook/format/configuration/renderers.html?highlight=site#html-renderer-options

Most web applications or static builders will use a variable like that to set the base path of the served web site.
So here we have one that only sets it for 404's maybe you should rename the variable to imply what it really means.
site-url-404, or you can apply my patch which will make it work on all pages. I guess the serve command was not intended to be used for serving the mdbook permanently.

[szabgab]

You are right the serve command is there to allow the author to see the book while it is being written.

Once you would like to publish it you use build to generate a set of static html file and then you serve it with a web server that serves static pages (nginx or Apache if you run your own server) or GitHub/GitLab pages.

That's the whole idea of static site builder. That you don't need to run an active server for them.

You can publish your book to any path on that server and then it is a good idea to set the site-url parameter.

[8de2fdb0]

Yes i get that, but also with build it won't set the base tag correctly in the header.

mdBook/src/front-end/templates/index.hbs

Line 11 in e6315bf

<base href="{{ base_url }}">

It is the same problem, if you use the default template you can't serve it under a sub path.

You have to add at least index.hbs into your mdbooks theme folder and overwrite the base tag with your path.

[szabgab]

I seem to be able to serve it properly. e.g. https://rust.code-maven.com/clap/
Could you show us and example that does not work?