How I Can Have Many Websites on Remote NGINX Server: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re looking to host multiple websites on a single remote NGINX server, you’re in the right place! In this article, we’ll take you on a journey to set up and configure your remote NGINX server to support multiple websites. Buckle up, because we’re about to dive into the world of server administration and make your life as a web developer or administrator a whole lot easier!

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, make sure you have the following:

• A remote NGINX server with a static IP address (you can use a cloud provider like DigitalOcean or Linode)
• A domain name for each website you want to host (e.g., example1.com, example2.com, etc.)
• SSH access to your remote server
• A basic understanding of Linux command-line interface and NGINX configuration

First things first, let’s ensure our remote NGINX server is up and running. If you haven’t already, spin up a new instance on your cloud provider and follow these steps:

1. Connect to your remote server using SSH: ssh username@remote_server_ip
2. Update your server’s package list: sudo apt-get update
3. Install NGINX: sudo apt-get install nginx
4. Start and enable NGINX: sudo systemctl start nginx and sudo systemctl enable nginx

Configuring NGINX for Multiple Websites

Now that NGINX is installed and running, it’s time to configure it to support multiple websites. We’ll create a separate configuration file for each website.

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/example1.com.conf

In this file, add the following configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example1.com;

    root /var/www/example1.com;
    index index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Save and close the file. Repeat this process for each website you want to host, replacing example1.com with the respective domain name. For example:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/example2.com.conf

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example2.com;

    root /var/www/example2.com;
    index index.html index.htm;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Setting Up Website Directories

Next, create a separate directory for each website:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example1.com
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example2.com

Make sure to create an index.html file in each directory to test your setup later:

sudo nano /var/www/example1.com/index.html

Add some sample content to the file, then save and close it. Repeat this process for each website.

Updating the NGINX Configuration

To enable the new configuration files, we need to update the main NGINX configuration:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Add the following line at the end of the file:

include /etc/nginx/conf.d/*.conf;

Save and close the file.

Restarting NGINX

To apply the changes, restart the NGINX service:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Testing Your Setup

It’s time to test your setup! Open a web browser and navigate to each of your website’s domains (e.g., http://example1.com, http://example2.com, etc.). You should see the sample content you added to the index.html file for each website.

Website	Domain Name	Directory
Website 1	example1.com	/var/www/example1.com
Website 2	example2.com	/var/www/example2.com

Tips and Tricks

• Make sure to update your domain’s DNS settings to point to your remote server’s IP address.
• You can use a single configuration file for all your websites, but separate files make it easier to manage and update individual websites.
• Use a consistent naming convention for your configuration files and website directories to avoid confusion.
• Consider using a load balancer or a proxy server to distribute traffic and improve performance.

That’s it! You now have a remote NGINX server hosting multiple websites. Pat yourself on the back, and go celebrate with a cup of coffee (or two, or three…).

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered the steps to set up and configure a remote NGINX server to host multiple websites. By following these instructions, you’ve successfully taken the first step in creating a scalable and efficient web hosting solution. Remember to keep your server and NGINX configuration up-to-date, and don’t hesitate to explore more advanced topics like SSL certificates, caching, and security hardening.

Happy hosting!

Note: This article is for educational purposes only. Make sure to adapt the instructions to your specific use case and follow best practices for server administration and security.

Frequently Asked Question

Are you ready to take your online presence to the next level by hosting multiple websites on a remote NGINX server? Let’s dive into the most frequently asked questions about how to do it!