Getting Started with Nginx 1.20.2

So, you’re ready to dive into Nginx on Ubuntu 20.04? Awesome choice! Here’s a not-so-complicated way to get Nginx 1.20.2 up and running.

Step 1: Remove Old Versions

If you have any older versions of Nginx installed, let’s get rid of them first. Run this command:

sudo apt remove nginx nginx-common

Step 2: Install Required Packages

Before downloading Nginx, you might need some packages. Go ahead and install them:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y build-essential libpcre3 libpcre3-dev zlib1g zlib1g-dev libssl-dev

Step 3: Download Nginx 1.20.2

Time to grab the specific version of Nginx. Use the following commands:

wget http://nginx.org/download/nginx-1.20.2.tar.gz
tar -zxvf nginx-1.20.2.tar.gz
cd nginx-1.20.2

Step 4: Compile and Install Nginx

Now, let’s compile Nginx. This can take a while, so grab a snack or something!

./configure
make
sudo make install

Step 5: Start Nginx

After installation, you can start Nginx using this command:

sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx

You can check if it’s running by visiting http://localhost in your browser.

Step 6: Configure Nginx for PHP (if needed)

If you’re looking to work with PHP, you’ll need to install PHP and necessary extensions. Install PHP with:

sudo apt install php-fpm php-mysql

Then, edit the Nginx configuration file to set it up with PHP. Usually, it’s in /usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf. Look for server blocks and add something like:

location ~ \.php$ {
        include fastcgi_params;
        fastcgi_pass 127.0.0.1:9000;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
    }

Final Thoughts

Once you have it set up, consider adding SSL with Let’s Encrypt for secure connections. Good luck, and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you get stuck!