How to install and configure Nginx

Nginx is a fast, lightweight web server perfect for hosting websites and web applications. This guide covers installation and basic configuration with your own domain.

Prerequisites

• A VPS with Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS
• Root or sudo access via SSH
• A domain name (you'll configure DNS after Nginx is set up)
• 20-30 minutes to complete

Step 1: Update and Install Nginx

Update your system:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Nginx:

sudo apt install -y nginx

Step 2: Open Firewall Ports

Allow HTTP traffic (port 80):

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx HTTP'
sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Verify the rules:

sudo ufw status

Note: When setting up HTTPS later, you'll also open port 443 (HTTPS).

Step 3: Verify Nginx is Running

Check Nginx status:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Visit http://your.vps.ip.address in your browser to see the Nginx welcome page.

Step 4: Create Your Website Directory

Create a directory for your website files:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com/html

Replace example.com with your actual domain.

Step 5: Create Sample Website Content

Create your index.html file:

nano /var/www/example.com/html/index.html

Add this content:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>Welcome to My Site</title>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Hello from Nginx!</h1>
    <p>Your website is live.</p>
  </body>
</html>

Save with Ctrl+X Y Enter.

Step 6: Configure Nginx for Your Domain

Create a server block configuration for your domain:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com

Add this configuration (replace example.com with YOUR domain):

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;
    root /var/www/example.com/html;
    index index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Save the file.

Step 7: Enable Your Site

Enable the server block by creating a symlink:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Remove the default Nginx configuration:

sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default /etc/nginx/sites-available/default

Step 8: Fix Hash Bucket Size

Edit the main Nginx config:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Find the line # server_names_hash_bucket_size 64; and uncomment it (remove the #).

Step 9: Test and Reload Configuration

Test the configuration:

sudo nginx -t

You should see:

nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

Reload Nginx to apply changes:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 10: Point Your Domain to Your VPS

In your domain registrar's DNS settings, add an A record:

• Type: A
• Name: @ (or your domain)
• Value: Your VPS public IP address

DNS propagation takes 15 minutes to a few hours. Once complete, visiting your domain in a browser will show your website.

Nginx Management

Check status:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Stop/Start/Restart:

sudo systemctl stop nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Enable auto-start on reboot:

sudo systemctl enable nginx

Next Steps

After your website is running:

• Set up HTTPS/SSL to secure your site
• Add more content to your website
• Configure advanced Nginx settings if needed
• Monitor your server performance with top

Troubleshooting

Need Help?

For Nginx configuration assistance, please open a support ticket through your billing panel.