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Nginx Installation: Fast and Secure Web Server on Ubuntu

In this guide, you will learn how to install Nginx on Ubuntu servers, basic configuration and production-appropriate settings.
The steps are simple, applicable and suitable for live systems.

What Will You Learn in This Guide?​

  • Installing Nginx on Ubuntu
  • Opening secure access with UFW
  • Managing the service with systemd
  • Creating a server block (virtual host)
  • Basic security and performance settings

Technical Summary (Phase 1)​

This guide describes installing Nginx web server on Ubuntu 22.04, 24.04 and 25.04.
The goal is to prepare a secure and high-performance web server.

1. Step: Nginx Installation​

Update the system packages first.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y
  • This command updates your system.

sudo apt install nginx -y
  • This command installs Nginx.

2. Step: Firewall Setting (UFW)​

  1. List Nginx profiles in UFW.

sudo ufw app list
  1. Allow only HTTP traffic.

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx HTTP'
  1. Check the firewall status.

sudo ufw status

3. Step: Checking Nginx Service​

  1. Check if Nginx is running.

systemctl status nginx
  • This command verifies that the service is active.

Go to your server IP from the browser:


http://sunucu_ip
  • You should see the default Nginx page.

4. Step: Nginx Service Management​

  1. To stop Nginx:

sudo systemctl stop nginx
  1. To start:

sudo systemctl start nginx
  1. To reboot:

sudo systemctl restart nginx
  1. To refresh the setting without disconnecting:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

5. Step: Creating Server Block (Virtual Host)​

  1. Create a directory for your domain.

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/ornek.com/html
  1. Set directory ownership.

sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/ornek.com
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/ornek.com
  • Create a test page.

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

<h1>Nginx başarıyla çalışıyor</h1>
  • Create the server block file.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/ornek.com

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name ornek.com www.ornek.com;

    root /var/www/ornek.com/html;
    index index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}
  • This configuration matches the domain name to the content.
  • Activate it.

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/ornek.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

6. Step: Security and Performance Settings​

  1. Open the main configuration file.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
  1. Add the following settings.

server_tokens off;
worker_processes auto;
  1. Turn on gzip compression.

gzip on;
gzip_comp_level 6;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/javascript application/json;
  • These settings provide speed and security.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)​

  1. Why is Nginx faster than Apache? It uses event-based architecture and consumes less resources.

  2. Does Nginx start automatically? Yes, it is active by default with systemd.

  3. Can I host multiple sites? Yes, a separate server block is used for each site.

  4. Where should I look if I get an error? Examine /var/log/nginx/error.log.

Result​

You now have a secure and fast Nginx web server running on your Ubuntu server. This structure provides a solid foundation for live projects.

You can create your infrastructure on the GenixNode platform in minutes to immediately use Nginx on high-performance servers.