How to Install Nginx on DigitalOcean

Published December 3, 2024 | By Matt

Installing Nginx on your DigitalOcean Droplet allows you to host websites, manage traffic, and enhance your server’s capabilities. This guide will walk through installing and setting up Nginx on a Ubuntu DigitalOcean Droplet.

Prerequisites to Installing Nginx

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DigitalOcean Droplet: An active Droplet running Ubuntu or a similar Linux distribution.
SSH Access: Ability to connect to your Droplet via SSH using a non-root user with sudo privileges.
Basic Command-Line Knowledge: Familiarity with Linux terminal commands.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Connect to Your Droplet via SSH

Use SSH to connect to your Droplet. Replace username with your sudo user and your_droplet_ip with your Droplet’s IP address:

bash

ssh username@your_droplet_ip

Step 2: Update the Package Index

Before installing new software, update your package list to ensure you have the latest information:

bash

sudo apt update

Step 3: Install Nginx

Install Nginx using the apt package manager:

bash

sudo apt install nginx -y

The -y flag automatically answers “yes” to any prompts during the installation.

Step 4: Adjust Firewall Settings

If you have UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall) enabled, allow Nginx traffic:

Check Available Application Profiles:

bash
sudo ufw app list
You should see profiles like Nginx Full, Nginx HTTP, and Nginx HTTPS.

Allow ‘Nginx Full’ Profile:

bash
sudo ufw allow ‘Nginx Full’

Enable UFW (if not already enabled):

bash
sudo ufw enable

Step 5: Verify Nginx Installation

To confirm that Nginx is running:

Check Service Status:

bash
systemctl status nginx
You should see that the service is active (running).

Visit Your Droplet’s IP Address:

Navigate to http://your_droplet_ip.
The default Nginx welcome page, indicating that the installation was successful.

Step 6: Manage Nginx Service (Optional)

Basic commands to control the Nginx service:

Stop Nginx:
bash
sudo systemctl stop nginx
Start Nginx:
bash
sudo systemctl start nginx
Restart Nginx:
bash
sudo systemctl restart nginx
Reload Nginx (for configuration changes):
bash
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Enable Nginx to Start on Boot:
bash
sudo systemctl enable nginx

Step 7: Configure Nginx Server Blocks (Virtual Hosts)

To host multiple websites or configure Nginx for your domain, set up server blocks:

Create a Directory for Your Domain:
Replace yourtestdomain.com with your actual domain name.
bash
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/yourdomain.com/html

Set Ownership of the Directory:

bash
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/yourdomain.com/html

Create a Sample Index File:

bash
nano /var/www/yourdomain.com/html/index.html
Add the following content:
html
<html>
<head>
<title>Welcome to YourDomain!</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Success! Nginx is working on your Droplet.</h1>
</body>
</html>
Save and exit the editor (Ctrl+O, Enter, Ctrl+X).

Create an Nginx Server Block Configuration File:

bash
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com
Add the following configuration:
nginx
server {
listen 80;
listen [::]:80;
root /var/www/yourdomain.com/html;
index index.html;
server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
location / {
try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
}
}
Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain.

Create a Symbolic Link & Enable the Server Block:

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

Test Nginx Configuration for Syntax Errors:

bash
sudo nginx -t
If the test is successful, proceed to the next step.

Reload Nginx to Apply Changes:

bash
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Update DNS Records (If Necessary):

Ensure your domain’s DNS records point to your Droplet’s IP address.

Step 8: Secure Nginx with SSL (Optional but Recommended)

To enhance security, set up HTTPS using a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate:

Install Certbot and the Nginx Plugin:
bash
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
Obtain and Install the SSL Certificate:
bash
sudo certbot –nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com
Follow the Prompts:
- Enter your email address.
- Agree to the terms of service.
- Choose whether to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS.
Verify HTTPS Access:
Visit https://yourdomain.com to confirm that your site is accessible over HTTPS.

Troubleshooting Tips

Firewall Issues: If you can’t access your site, ensure that the firewall allows HTTP (port 80) and HTTPS (port 443) traffic.
Nginx Configuration Errors: If Nginx fails to start or reload, check the syntax in your configuration files and look for error messages using sudo nginx -t.
Permission Denied: Ensure that the user has the correct permissions for the web root directory.

Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed Nginx on your DigitalOcean Droplet and configured it to serve web content. Nginx is now ready to handle web traffic, and you can proceed to deploy your websites or applications.

Next Steps

Deploy Applications: Install and configure web applications or frameworks (e.g., WordPress, Django).
Optimize Nginx Performance: Tweak Nginx settings for better performance and resource utilization.
Implement Security Measures: Harden your server by configuring firewalls, fail2ban, and keeping software up to date.