Install Nginx Server On Centos 7


Install Nginx Server On Centos 7

What Is Nginx?

Nginx is an open source web server and reverse proxy developed by Igor Sysoev in 2004. It is an efficient web server that can handle high traffic volumes, with low memory and CPU usage. Nginx also has capabilities for more advanced features such as load balancing, content caching and SSL/TLS encryption. It is used by some of the world’s largest websites, such as Netflix and is a popular choice for modern web deployments.

Prerequisites For Installing Nginx On Centos 7

Before installing Nginx on Centos 7, you will need to meet some requirements. First, you will need a user account with root or a sudo user privileges. You will also need a minimal version of Centos 7 installed (Centos 7.3 and above is recommended). Make sure the server is up-to-date with the latest security patches by running ‘sudo yum update’.

Installing Nginx and Enabling Firewall on Centos 7

The first step to installing Nginx is to install the EPEL repository, as Nginx is not available in the default repositories. To do this, run the following command:

sudo yum install epel-release

Once the EPEL repo is installed, you can use yum to install Nginx. To do this, run the following command:

sudo yum install nginx

You can also install other packages related to Nginx if you like (such as php-fpm). Once installed, you can start the Nginx service with the command ‘sudo systemctl start nginx’. To make sure it is running, you can use ‘sudo systemctl status nginx’. You can also enable the Nginx service to start on boot with ‘sudo systemctl enable nginx’.

Configuring Nginx

By default, Nginx is installed with a default configuration file. It is located in the ‘/etc/nginx/nginx.conf’ directory. If you wish to modify the default settings, you can edit this file with a text editor. For example, you may want to increase the number of worker processes for higher traffic sites. You can also adjust other settings such as keepalive timeout and client max body size.

Enabling Firewall on Centos 7

Once Nginx is installed and configured, you will want to make sure it is secure. To do this, you will need to enable a firewall on the server. On Centos 7, the default firewall is called firewalld. To enable it, run the following command:

sudo systemctl start firewalld

Once enabled, it will start on boot automatically. To allow Nginx access through the firewall, run the following command:

sudo firewall-cmd –add-service=http –permanent

This will open up port 80, which is the default port for Nginx. You can also open up port 443 if you are using HTTPS. To apply the changes to the firewall, run the following command:

sudo firewall-cmd –reload

Testing Nginx

Now that Nginx is installed and your firewall is enabled, it is time to test out your installation. To do this, open up a web browser and navigate to the IP address or domain name of your server. You should see the default Nginx ‘Welcome to Nginx’ page, confirming that everything is working properly. You can also navigate to the ‘/status’ path of your web server to see some useful performance metrics.

Conclusion

Installing Nginx on Centos 7 is a relatively straightforward process and provides you with a powerful web server. Be sure to secure your installation with a firewall, as well as regularly check for any security updates.

FAQs

  • What is Nginx?

    • Nginx is an open source web server and reverse proxy developed by Igor Sysoev in 2004.

  • Is Nginx available in the default Centos repositories?

    • No, Nginx is not available in the default Centos repositories. You will need to install the EPEL repository first.

Thank you for reading this article. For more detailed instructions on how to install Nginx on Centos 7, please refer to the official Nginx documentation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *