Step-by-Step Web Server Nginx Setup Guide

Nginx is a high-performance web server known for its efficiency, especially in terms of memory usage, fast startup times, and handling high concurrency. This makes it a popular choice for various internet projects.

• Installation

  Nginx is available in the package repositories of most Linux distributions. For instance, in Debian-based systems, you can install Nginx using apt install nginx.

• Common Commands

  Here are some essential Nginx commands:

  nginx -s stop # Fast shutdown
  nginx -s quit # Graceful shutdown
  nginx -s reload # Reload configuration file
  nginx -s reopen # Reopen log files
  

• Configuring Virtual Hosts

  The main Nginx configuration file, /etc/nginx/nginx.conf, includes the line include /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/*.conf; to manage virtual hosts. To enable a virtual host located in /etc/nginx/sites-available, use this command:

  ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
  

  Here are some example configurations:

  • Basic Configuration for Static Websites

    server {
      listen 80;
      server_name domain.com;
      root /path/to/staticHtmlFile;
    }
    

  • Static Website with SSL

    server {
      listen 443 ssl;
      server_name domain.com;
      ssl_certificate /location/certfile.crt;
      ssl_certificate_key /location/keyfile.key;
      root /path/to/staticHtmlFile;
    }
    

  • Reverse Proxy Configuration

    server {
      listen 80;
      server_name domain.com;
      location / {
        proxy_pass https://target.com:port;
      }
    }
    

This guide provides a fundamental understanding of installing and configuring Nginx for various use cases, from serving static web pages to setting up a reverse proxy.