Linux Packages

Nginx — High-Performance Web Server & Reverse Proxy

Install, configure, and operate Nginx on Linux for serving static sites, proxying application servers, and managing SSL/TLS certificates.

2 min read Last updated: 2026-10-06

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What is Nginx?
Installation
Basic Reverse Proxy Configuration
Testing and Reloading

What is Nginx?

Nginx is an event-driven, asynchronous HTTP web server, reverse proxy, and load balancer. Because of its low memory footprint and high concurrency capabilities, it powers over a third of all websites globally.

Installation

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nginx
sudo systemctl enable --now nginx

Verify that Nginx is running and listening on port 80:

bash

systemctl status nginx

Basic Reverse Proxy Configuration

Create a virtual host configuration in /etc/nginx/sites-available/app.conf:

nginx

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name app.example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Enable the site by symlinking it into sites-enabled:

bash

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/app.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Testing and Reloading

Always test your configuration syntax before restarting or reloading Nginx:

bash

sudo nginx -t

If the syntax test passes (syntax is ok), reload the daemon without dropping active TCP connections:

bash

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Tip

Combine Nginx with Certbot (sudo certbot --nginx -d app.example.com) to automatically generate TLS certificates and redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS.