How Do I Setup a NGINX Web Server?

In this tutorial, we will learn how to set up a NGINX web server. NGINX is a popular open-source web server that is known for its high performance and flexibility.

Step 1: Install NGINX

To get started, we need to install NGINX on our server. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Update the package list by running the command:
sudo apt update
Step 2: Install NGINX using the following command:
sudo apt install nginx

Step 2: Configure NGINX

After installing NGINX, we need to configure it to serve our website correctly. Here’s what you need to do:

Create a Virtual Host Configuration File

A virtual host configuration file allows us to define multiple websites on a single server. To create a new virtual host configuration file, follow these steps:

Step 1: Navigate to the sites-available directory:
cd /etc/nginx/sites-available/
Step 2: Create a new virtual host configuration file using your preferred text editor:
sudo nano your_domain.conf

Step 3: Add the following content to the file, replacing “your_domain” with your actual domain name:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_domain;
    root /var/www/your_domain;
    index index.html;
}

Step 4: Save the file and exit the text editor.

Enable the Virtual Host

Now that we have created the virtual host configuration file, we need to enable it. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a symbolic link from the sites-available directory to the sites-enabled directory:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your_domain.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
Step 2: Test the NGINX configuration for any syntax errors:
sudo nginx -t
Step 3: If there are no errors, restart NGINX to apply the changes:
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 3: Test Your NGINX Web Server

To ensure that your NGINX web server is set up correctly, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your web browser and enter your server’s IP address or domain name in the address bar.
Step 2: If you see a “Welcome to NGINX” page, congratulations! Your NGINX web server is up and running.

Congratulations!

You have successfully set up a NGINX web server on your machine. Now you can start hosting your websites using this powerful and efficient web server.

In this tutorial, we covered the installation and configuration steps for setting up a NGINX web server. Remember to regularly update your NGINX installation to benefit from the latest security patches and performance improvements.