How to Install Nginx on DigitalOcean

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:

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.

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:

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:

sudo apt update

Step 3: Install Nginx

Install Nginx using the apt package manager:

sudo apt install nginx -y
// -y auto answers yes to installation

Step 4: Adjust Firewall Settings

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

Check Available Application Profiles:

# sudo ufw status

Expected Output:

Status: active

To                         Action      From
--                         ------      ----
Nginx Full                 ALLOW       Anywhere
22/tcp                     ALLOW       Anywhere
8080                       ALLOW       Anywhere
Nginx Full (v6)            ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)
22/tcp (v6)                ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)
8080 (v6)                  ALLOW       Anywhere (v6)

Allow ‘Nginx Full’ Profile:

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
sudo ufw reload

Enable UFW (if not already enabled):

sudo ufw enable

Step 5: Verify Nginx Installation

To confirm that Nginx is running:

Check Service Status:

systemctl status nginx

Visit Your Droplet’s IP Address:

Navigate to http://your_droplet_ip

The default Nginx welcome page, indicating that the installation was successful.

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 yourdomain.com with your actual domain name.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/yourdomain.com/html

Set Ownership of the Directory:

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

Create a Sample Index File:

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

Add the following content:

<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+x, Y, Enter).

Create an Nginx Server Block Configuration File:

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:

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

Test Nginx Configuration for Syntax Errors:

sudo nginx -t

Expected Output:

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

Update DNS Records:

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

Step 8: Secure Nginx with SSL (Recommended):

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

Install Certbot and the Nginx Plugin:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Obtain and Install the SSL Certificate:

sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com

Follow the Prompts:
- Enter your email address.
- Agree to the terms of service.

Visit https://yourdomain.com to confirm that your site is accessible over HTTPS.

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