Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx Hide Port


Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx Hide Port

Introduction to Nginx with Ubuntu

Nginx is an open source web server and reverse proxy software that is commonly used in Linux servers. It is capable of providing excellent web services and facilities compared to traditional web servers. Nginx had a market share of 35.6% of the installed web server market in June 2020, which puts it ahead of all other web servers.

Nginx was originally created by Igor Sysoev and released for use in 2004. Since its release, it has become one of the most popular web servers, due to its scalability, speed and ease of use. Nginx is the web server of choice for popular websites like Netflix, WordPress and GitHub. Ubuntu 18.04 is the current Long Term Support (LTS) version of the Ubuntu Linux operating system and comes with Nginx pre-installed.

How Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx Hides a Port

When running a web server on a Linux system, you may want to hide the port number from public view. This is especially true if you are running a web server on a non-standard port, such as port 8080 instead of port 80. Hiding the port number also prevents attackers from obtaining information about your server.

Nginx, when used with Ubuntu 18.04, can be used to hide the port number from public view. This is done by configuring Nginx to accept connections on the non-standard port, and then forward the request to the appropriate port on the local server. In order to hide the port number, Nginx needs to be configured with a specific set of configuration instructions.

Nginx Configuration Steps in Ubuntu 18.04

To configure Nginx in Ubuntu 18.04 to hide the port number, users need to first install and start Nginx. This can be done using the tasksel command or the apt command, depending on the user’s preference.

Once Nginx is installed, the user should open the Nginx configuration file, which is usually located at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf. This should be opened in an editor such as Nano or Vi, and some modifications should be made.

The next step is to enable the proxy_protocol parameter in Nginx. This needs to be done in order for Nginx to accept connections on the non-standard port, and then re-direct them to the appropriate port on the local server. The proxy_protocol parameter should be set to on, and it should be configured to listen on the port number that is required.

The next step is to add the hide_port directive to the Nginx configuration. This should be done in the server section of the configuration file. This directive will ensure that the port number is not visible to the outside world. Once the hide_port directive has been added, the Nginx configuration should be saved and Nginx should be restarted.

Testing the Nginx Configuration for Ubuntu 18.04

Once the Nginx configuration has been completed, the user should test the setup to ensure that the port is not visible to the outside world. This can be done using the curl or wget commands, which can be executed against the external IP address of the server.

The output of the command should not include the port number, as this should be hidden from public view. If the port is being displayed, then there is an error in the Nginx configuration and it needs to be adjusted.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, users can easily configure Nginx on Ubuntu 18.04 to hide the port number from view. This helps ensure that attackers cannot gain access to the server, as they will not be able to view the port number. As always, it is important to test any changes to the Nginx configuration before implementing them on a live server.

FAQs

  • Q: What is Nginx?

    A: Nginx is an open source web server and reverse proxy software that is commonly used in Linux servers.

  • Q: What version of Ubuntu is Nginx available in?

    A: Nginx is available in Ubuntu 18.04, which is the current Long Term Support (LTS) version of the Ubuntu Linux operating system.

  • Q: How do I hide the port number with Nginx?

    A: You can hide the port number with Nginx by configuring the proxy_protocol parameter and adding the hide_port directive to the Nginx configuration file.

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