How to Install and Configure Nginx Web Server

Introduction

Nginx is a high-performance web server and reverse proxy. This guide covers installation and basic configuration.

Step 1: Install Nginx

Install Nginx from the default repository.

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

Step 2: Start Nginx Service

Enable and start the Nginx service.

sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx

Step 3: Configure Firewall

Allow HTTP and HTTPS traffic through the firewall.

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Step 4: Create Server Block

Create a new server block (virtual host) for your website.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com
# Add server block configuration
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Step 5: Test Configuration

Test the Nginx configuration and reload if successful.

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Conclusion

Nginx is now installed and configured. You can add SSL certificates using Let's Encrypt for HTTPS support.