---
title: NGINX Configuration
description: How to simply configure and NGINX http server
published: true
date: 2025-02-27T20:27:40.472Z
tags: nginx, server, http, linux
editor: markdown
dateCreated: 2025-02-27T15:48:54.929Z
---

# Configuring NGINX

#### Note:
 Following "The NGINX Crash Course" by Laiture on Youtube.com
 *Big BIG thanks to Laiture for this incredible how to video.*

##### - */etc/nginx/nginx.conf ==> main configuration file*


## Terminology: 
Directives - key value pairs within blocks of code

Contexts - blocks of code that contain directives. http, events, etc... events context must be present. 


To Start NGINX: 
`nginx`

Simplest Static Site: 
-	Use http and events context: 
```
#nginx.conf example
http {
	server{
  		listen 8080;
      root /var/www/html;
  }
}

events {}
```
Reload NGINX after changes:
`nginx -s reload`

## Mime Types

- Mime types allow styles and other dynamic content to be served based on filetypes. 	
	- Mime.types file contains a collection of filetypes supported by NGINX to serve. 
	- Including it in the conf file allows dynamic content to be served.

To include Mime Types simply add: 
`include mime.types`

## Location Block

- Adding a location block can be done as the following: 
```
server { 
		listen 8080;
    root /var/www/html;
    
    location /somepath {       # http://localhost:8080/somepath
    		root  /var/www/html;   # Serves index.html within /somepath folder in /var/www/html
        
    }
}
```
- Location can take directives such as: 
	1. *alias* - redirects elsewhere such as:
   ```
  server { 
		listen 8080;
 		   	root /var/www/html;
    
    	location /somepath {       # http://localhost:8080/somepath
   				root  /var/www/html;   # Serves index.html within /somepath folder in /var/www/html
        }
    	location /otherpath {
   	  		alias /var/www/html/somepath; # Points back to "somepath". 
    		}
        
    }
  
  ```
  2. *try_files* - Specifies files to try before index.html, followed by what to show if not found. 
  	- Example: ` try_files /somepath/somesite.html /index.html =404; ` 
    - Explanation: 
    	- Try to find and serve *somesite.html* in *somepath* folder and if not found, redirect to *root/index.html*. 
      - If neither are found, produce 404 Error. 

## Redirects & Rewrites

### Redirects: 

``` 
location /somesite {
		return 307 /someOtherSite;
}
```

### Rewrite:

``` 
rewrite /some/path/I/want /to/some/path/that/exists;

location { ... }