Getting Started with Web Servers
Understanding NGINX
NGINX (pronounced "engine-x") is a powerful and very popular web server software used by millions of websites around the world. At its core, its main job is to take requests from users like when you type a website address into your browser and send back the correct web page so you can see it. It is famous for being extremely fast and reliable, even when a website gets thousands of visitors at the exact same time.
Besides just serving regular web pages, NGINX can do a lot of other helpful tasks to keep a system healthy. For example, it can act as a "traffic cop" (known as a reverse proxy) that stands in front of several other servers. It smoothly directs visitor traffic to different machines so that no single server gets overworked. This makes websites load faster and stops them from crashing during very busy moments.
Another great thing about NGINX is that it is lightweight, meaning it uses very little of your computer's memory and processing power. Because it is so efficient, many companies use it to quickly deliver heavy files like images and videos. Whether you are building a small personal blog or managing a massive online store, NGINX is a fantastic tool to keep everything running smoothly.
Major Prerequisites
- A computer or cloud server running a Linux operating system (like Ubuntu, CentOS, or Red Hat Enterprise Linux).
- Access to the server's command line or terminal.
- A user account with
sudo(administrator) privileges to install new software. - An active internet connection to download the required packages.
Step-by-Step Installation
For Ubuntu (Versions 22.04, 24.04, 26.04)
1. Install Prerequisites
Run this command to install the tools needed to download and verify the NGINX software safely:
sudo apt install curl gnupg2 ca-certificates lsb-release ubuntu-keyring2. Import the NGINX Security Key
This step downloads the official NGINX security key so your system knows the software is genuine:
curl https://nginx.org/keys/nginx_signing.key | gpg --dearmor \
| sudo tee /usr/share/keyrings/nginx-archive-keyring.gpg >/dev/nullVerify that the key is correct by running:
gpg --dry-run --quiet --no-keyring --import --import-options import-show /usr/share/keyrings/nginx-archive-keyring.gpg3. Add the NGINX Repository
Tell your system where to find the official NGINX software:
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/nginx-archive-keyring.gpg] \
https://nginx.org/packages/ubuntu `lsb_release -cs` nginx" \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/nginx.list4. Set Up Repository Pinning
This command makes sure your system prefers the official NGINX packages over older versions:
echo -e "Package: *\nPin: origin nginx.org\nPin: release o=nginx\nPin-Priority: 900\n" \
| sudo tee /etc/apt/preferences.d/99nginx5. Install NGINX
Finally, update your system's package list and install the web server:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginxFor RHEL & Derivatives (CentOS, Rocky Linux, AlmaLinux)
1. Install Prerequisites
Install the necessary package management tools:
sudo yum install yum-utils2. Set Up the YUM Repository
Create a configuration file to tell your system where to download NGINX:
sudo nano /etc/yum.repos.d/nginx.repoPaste the following exact contents into the file, then save and exit:
[nginx-stable]
name=nginx stable repo
baseurl=https://nginx.org/packages/centos/$releasever/$basearch/
gpgcheck=1
enabled=1
gpgkey=https://nginx.org/keys/nginx_signing.key
module_hotfixes=true3. Install NGINX
Run the installation command. When it asks you to accept the security key (GPG key), type y to confirm:
sudo yum install nginxFinal Thoughts
Congratulations, you have successfully prepared your Linux system and installed one of the most powerful web servers available today.
- Learned the basics of what NGINX is and how it handles website traffic efficiently.
- Installed the necessary prerequisite tools and security keys on your server.
- Added the official NGINX software repository to your system's package manager.
- Successfully installed the NGINX web server software using step-by-step terminal commands.
You are now completely ready to start configuring your server and hosting your own websites.
