Setting Up Nginx Web Server on LINUX: A Step-by-Step Guide

In the world of web hosting, Nginx stands out as a powerful and efficient web server. Its lightweight nature and high performance make it a popular choice for hosting websites. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll walk you through the process of installing Nginx on Linux, configuring a virtual host, and securing your setup.

Step 1: Install Nginx

yum install epel-release -y
yum install nginx -y
systemctl start nginx && systemctl enable nginx

This sets the foundation for your web server. Nginx is now installed and set to start on boot.

Step 2: Allow HTTP/HTTPS on Firewall

firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=http --add-service=https
firewall-cmd --reload

Open up your firewall to allow web traffic through HTTP and HTTPS.

Step 3: Configure Virtual Hosts

Create Additional Configuration Files

mkdir /etc/nginx/sites-available
mkdir /etc/nginx/sites-enabled

Declare additional configuration files in nginx.conf:

include /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/*.conf;
server_names_hash_bucket_size 64;

Change the default document root to:

root /var/www/html;

Step 4: Create Directory Structure and Set Permissions

mkdir -p /var/www/html/ayaaninfratech.com
chown -R nginx:nginx /var/www/html/ayaaninfratech.com
chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/ayaaninfratech.com

Prepare the directory structure for your website and set the necessary permissions.

Step 5: Create Demo Pages

vim /var/www/html/ayaaninfratech.com/index.html

Create a simple HTML page for your website.

<html>
  <head>
   <title>Welcome to ayaaninfratech.com!</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Thanks for visiting!</h1>
  </body>
</html>

Step 6: Create the Server Block Configuration

vim /etc/nginx/sites-available/ayaaninfratech.com.conf

Insert the server block configuration for your website.

server {
listen 80;
server_name ayaaninfratech.com www.ayaaninfratech.com;
location / {
    root /var/www/html/ayaaninfratech.com;
    index index.html index.htm;
    try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}

error_page 500 502 503 504 /50x.html;
location = /50x.html {
    root /usr/share/nginx/html;
}
}

Step 7: Enable the New Server Block

ln -sf /etc/nginx/sites-available/ayaaninfratech.com.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ayaaninfratech.com.conf

Enable the new server block for your website.

Step 8: SELinux Configuration

setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect on
getenforce
chcon -Rt httpd_sys_content_t /var/www/html/ayaaninfratech.com

Adjust SELinux settings for proper web server functioning.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully set up Nginx on CentOS and configured a virtual host for your website. This robust web server will serve your content efficiently. Feel free to customize further and explore Nginx’s extensive features for an optimized web hosting experience. Happy hosting!

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