What Is an Nginx Server Block and How Do I Configure It?

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Administrator

by admin , in category: Lifestyle , 8 days ago

An NGINX Server Block is a feature used to manage different web server directives, allowing you to host multiple websites on a single server. Each server block works similarly to Apache’s virtual hosts, letting you configure a specific intended behavior for each website you host.

Configuring an NGINX Server Block

Setting up an NGINX server block involves editing configuration files and defining specific directives to control server behavior. Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to get you started:

  1. Access NGINX Configuration Directory: The default directory on most systems is /etc/nginx/sites-available/. Navigate to this directory to create a new server block file.

  2. Create a New Server Block File: Use your preferred text editor to create a new file, e.g., mywebsite.

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    sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/mywebsite
    
  3. Define the Server Block Configuration: The basic structure involves specifying the listen directive, server name, root directory, and index file.

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    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name mywebsite.com www.mywebsite.com;
        root /var/www/mywebsite;
        index index.html;
    
    
        location / {
            try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
        }
    }
    
  4. Enable the Server Block: To enable the server block, create a symbolic link to the sites-enabled directory.

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    sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/mywebsite /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
    
  5. Test the NGINX Configuration: Run the nginx -t command to ensure there are no syntax errors in your configuration files.

  6. Reload NGINX: Apply the changes by reloading NGINX.

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    sudo systemctl reload nginx
    

Once you have completed these steps, your new server block should be configured, enabling you to host multiple websites efficiently on a single NGINX instance.

Additional Resources

For further detailed guides on configuring NGINX, including specific features like Brotli compression and caching mechanisms, check out these additional resources:

By leveraging server blocks, you can efficiently manage and serve multiple websites, tailor options to suit each domain, and have finer control over the behavior of your NGINX server.

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