Install Nginx on Linux | Server Blocks Guide

Install Nginx on Linux is the starting point for millions of LEMP stacks, Kubernetes ingress nodes, and static marketing sites. Nginx uses an event-driven worker model and keeps configuration in clear server blocks.

For TLS termination, upstream apps, and production tuning, continue with our
Nginx reverse proxy guide and
502 troubleshooting.

Why Nginx

Low memory footprint, strong static file performance, and a standard choice as a reverse proxy in front of Node, PHP-FPM, or Gunicorn.

Install the Package

Ubuntu uses nginx; AlmaLinux uses nginx from AppStream or EPEL depending on image.

bashUbuntu

sudo apt install -y nginx
sudo systemctl enable --now nginx
curl -sI http://127.0.0.1/ | head -3

Configuration Layout

Global settings in nginx.conf; per-site files in sites-available (Debian) or conf.d/*.conf (RHEL).

Your First server Block

Define listen, server_name, root, and index for a hostname.

nginxminimal vhost

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name site.example;
    root /var/www/site.example/html;
    index index.html;
}

Test and Reload

Never skip nginx -t — a syntax error on reload can leave you fixing from console.

bashapply

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Serve a Static Site

Drop index.html in the root; optional gzip and cache headers for assets.

bashcreate site

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/site.example/html
echo '<h1>Hello Nginx</h1>' | sudo tee /var/www/site.example/html/index.html

Intro to reverse proxy

Pass traffic to an app on localhost — the pattern behind WordPress PHP-FPM and APIs.

nginxproxy example

location /app/ {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000/;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
}

Access and Error Logs

Default paths under /var/log/nginx/ — essential for debugging 4xx/5xx.

bashwatch errors

sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log

Firewall and Next Steps

Open 80/443, then add Certbot. Tune worker_connections only after you measure real traffic.

bashufw

sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'

Quick Reference

nginx -t before every reload
Debian: symlink from sites-available to sites-enabled
Production proxy/TLS: see our reverse proxy guide

How to Install Nginx on Linux: Server Blocks, Static Sites and proxy_pass Basics