The First Web Server: CERN's Historic Machine

The first web server was a NeXT computer located at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland. Invented by Tim Berners-Lee, this machine hosted the first-ever website and powered the initial development of the World Wide Web.

The server ran the HTTP protocol and was instrumental in the creation of web browsers like NCSA Mosaic. While the physical machine is no longer operational, its legacy as the birthplace of the modern internet remains significant. The server's development marked a pivotal moment in digital history, transitioning the internet from a text-based network to a graphical, interconnected system.

The history of the internet changed forever with the installation of the first web server at CERN. This machine was not a standard server but a NeXT computer, a workstation developed by Steve Jobs' company after he left Apple. The choice of this hardware was crucial because it provided the graphical interface and processing power necessary to run the complex software required for the World Wide Web.

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Web, set up this server in Geneva. It was on this machine that the first web browser and web editor were created. The server hosted the first website, which described the project itself. This single machine served as the central hub for the early web, handling requests from the few users who had access to the nascent technology.

The NeXT computer was a black cube design that became iconic in computer history. It ran the NeXTSTEP operating system, which was highly advanced for its time. This operating system allowed Tim Berners-Lee to write the code for the HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) and the first web server software relatively easily.

The server software was written in C, and the HTML editor was written in Objective-C. The machine was connected to the internet via the CERN network. Key components of this system included:

• The NeXTSTEP operating system
• The HTTP daemon (server software)
• The first web browser, called WorldWideWeb
• An integrated web editor

This combination of hardware and software created the foundation for how the web works today.

CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, provided the environment where the web was born. The organization's open culture allowed Tim Berners-Lee to develop his ideas freely. The first web server was physically located in a room at the Geneva facility. It was here that the technology was demonstrated to the wider scientific community.

While CERN created the web, the NCSA (National Center for Supercomputing Applications) played a vital role in popularizing it. NCSA developed NCSA Mosaic, the first widely used graphical web browser. Mosaic was released in 1993 and ran on the X Window System. It was compatible with the NeXT server's protocols. The release of Mosaic turned the web from a niche academic tool into a global phenomenon. The collaboration between the server at CERN and the browser from NCSA sparked the internet revolution.

The original NeXT server eventually had its hard drive removed, and the machine was decommissioned. However, a replica of the server is preserved at the CERN data center in Geneva. The software that ran on that first server, however, lives on. The concepts of HTTP, HTML, and URLs defined by Tim Berners-Lee are still the standards used by billions of devices today.

The transition from the first server to the modern cloud infrastructure represents a massive scaling of the original vision. What started as a single machine in Switzerland became a global network of information. The first web server proved that a decentralized system of linked documents was possible, paving the way for the digital age.