Ubuntu 16.04: A Comprehensive Guide to Nginx and Letsencrypt
What is Nginx?
Nginx is a web server and an open-source reverse proxy server for HTTP, HTTPS, and other protocols. It is one of the most popular web servers available today. It was developed by Russian programmer Dmitry Sysoev and released in 2004. Nginx focuses on scalability, performance, and low resource utilization, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic websites and applications. In addition, it is lightweight and fast, handling as many as 10,000 simultaneous connections with ease.
Nginx is commonly used as a web server, but it can also be used as a Layer 7 load balancer. It can be used for various applications such as image resizing, streaming audio, and video, caching, and to proxy requests from clients to other servers. Moreover, Nginx supports modules for rewriting URLs, protocol conversion, and authentication.
What is Letsencrypt?
Let’s Encrypt is a free, open source certificate authority that provides free security certificates for websites. Its mission is to make it easier for website owners to secure their websites with HTTPS. Let’s Encrypt certificates are trusted by all major browsers, making them suitable for any website. Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days, but they can be automatically renewed for free within the certificate’s lifespan.
Letsencrypt certificates are issued using Domain Validation (DV) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption. This makes it possible to secure websites with encryption without the need to purchase a certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA). Let’s Encrypt also provides an API which enables developers to automate the renewal process.
Why Use Nginx and Letsencrypt on Ubuntu 16.04?
Ubuntu 16.04 is a long-term support (LTS) version of the popular Linux distribution. It is the most widely used server operating system, and its built-in support for Nginx and Letsencrypt makes it an ideal platform for running websites and applications.
Nginx is a lightweight web server and reverse proxy that is highly optimized for performance and scalability. Its support for the latest versions of HTML and JavaScript makes it suitable for modern web applications. Nginx also offers robust security features such as password protection, SSL/TLS encryption, and XSS protection.
Let’s Encrypt is also easy to set up and use on Ubuntu 16.04. By setting up a Let’s Encrypt certificate, you can secure your website with HTTPS without the need to purchase a certificate from a CA. This makes it possible to deploy secure sites and applications on the web quickly and easily.
How to Install Nginx and Letsencrypt on Ubuntu 16.04?
Installing Nginx and Letsencrypt on Ubuntu 16.04 is straightforward. The first step is to install Nginx. The Nginx package is available in the Ubuntu repositories, so we can install it using the apt package manager. Run the command below to install Nginx.
$ sudo apt-get install nginx
Once the installation is complete, you can check the status of the Nginx service using the command below.
$ sudo systemctl status nginx
The next step is to install Let’s Encrypt. We can install Let’s Encrypt using the certbot utility. Certbot is a command line tool for automatically acquiring and managing SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt. To install certbot, run the command below.
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:certbot/certbot
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install certbot
Once the installation is complete, we can use certbot to obtain a Let’s Encrypt certificate. To do this, we need to provide the domains that we want to secure with a certificate. We can do this using the command below.
$ sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com
Once the command is run, certbot will automatically obtain a certificate and configure Nginx with the SSL settings. It will also automatically renew the certificate before it expires.
Securing Sites with Nginx and Letsencrypt on Ubuntu 16.04
Now that Nginx and Letsencrypt are installed, we can secure our sites with HTTPS. To do this, we need to enable the SSL module in Nginx. This can be done by editing the /etc/nginx/nginx.conf file and uncommenting the line below.
include /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/*;
Once the SSL module is enabled, we can configure Nginx to use the Let’s Encrypt certificate. This can be done by creating a configuration file for the site we want to secure. The configuration file should be placed in the /etc/nginx/sites-enabled directory and should look like the example below.
server {
listen 443 ssl;
server_name example.com www.example.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem;
ssl_trusted_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_protocols TLSv1 TLSv1.1 TLSv1.2;
location / {
root /var/www/example.com/public;
index index.html;
}
}
Once the configuration is saved, we can test the configuration and reload Nginx using the commands below.
$ sudo nginx -t
$ sudo systemctl reload nginx
Now our site is secured with the Let’s Encrypt certificate.
Conclusion
Nginx and Letsencrypt are excellent options for securing websites on Ubuntu 16.04. Nginx is a fast and lightweight web server that is optimized for performance and scalability. Letsencrypt is a free, open source certificate authority that provides free security certificates for websites. Setting up Nginx and Letsencrypt on Ubuntu 16.04 is straightforward and can be done in a few simple steps.
Thank you for reading this article. If you are interested in learning more about Nginx, Letsencrypt, and Ubuntu 16.04, please check out some of our other articles.
Related Posts:
- How To Install Nginx Ubuntu How To Install Nginx Ubuntu What is Nginx? Nginx is an open-source web server, reverse proxy, load balancer, and HTTP cache solution with a strong focus on speed and performance.…
- Install Postgis Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx Install Postgis Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx What is Postgis? Postgis is a Postgres-based open source geographic information system (GIS) that enables users to store, query, and analyze spatial data stored in…
- Bash Install Nginx On Ubuntu How To Install Nginx On Ubuntu What is Nginx? Nginx is a web server that is gaining popularity in the world of web hosting. Nginx is an open source web…
- Nginx Https Proxy_Pass Http Nginx Https Proxy_Pass Http What is Nginx? Nginx is a web server created to solve the problem of dealing with large numbers of concurrent requests. It was created in 1994…
- Digital Ocean Ubuntu Server Nginx Digital Ocean Ubuntu Server Nginx Introducing Digital Ocean Digital Ocean, a leader in cloud hosting, provides high-performance server instances, unlimited storage, and multiple configurations for all types of digital demands.…
- Can I Use Nginx For Cpanel Can I Use Nginx For Cpanel? What is Nginx and What Does it Do for Cpanel? Nginx is an open source web server and reverse proxy created by Igor Sysoev…
- Available Application Apache And Nginx Available Application Apache And Nginx What is Apache? Apache is a web server software that allows users to store and deliver web content quickly and efficiently. Apache was created in…
- 403 Forbidden Nginx Ubuntu 14.04 403 Forbidden Nginx Ubuntu 14.04 What Is a 403 Forbidden Error? A 403 Forbidden error is an HTTP status code that denotes that a server, upon receiving a request from…
- Check Nginx Status Ubuntu 16.04 Check Nginx Status Ubuntu 16.04 What is Nginx? Nginx (pronounced "engine x") is an open source web server that is used for hosting websites and applications on a wide range…
- Nginx Ssl Ubuntu 16.04 Nginx SSL Ubuntu 16.04 What is SSL and Nginx? SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a protocol used to encrypt communications over the internet. It is a secure…
- Docker Reverse Proxy Nginx Letsencrypt Docker Reverse Proxy Nginx Letsencrypt What is Nginx? Nginx is an open-source, high performance web server software and reverse proxy that can be used for load balacing, HTTP caching and…
- Nginx Image For Mobile Apps Json Nginx Image For Mobile Apps Json What is Nginx? Nginx is an open-source web server and reverse proxy for HTTP, HTTPS, SMTP, POP3, and IMAP protocols, as well as a…
- 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…
- Nginx Php-Fpm Php Mariadb Mysql Centos 7.2 Digitalocean Nginx, Php-Fpm, Php, Mariadb, Mysql, Centos 7.2 Digitalocean Introduction: What is Nginx? Nginx is a powerful web server that was first released in 2004. It is known for being a…
- Reverse Proxy Nginx Dan Haproxy Reverse Proxy Nginx Dan Haproxy Introduction to Reverse Proxy Reverse proxy is a server that sits between a user and the destination server. It can be used to direct web…
- Ubuntu 18.04 Letsencrypt Nginx Ubuntu 18.04 Letsencrypt Nginx What is Ubuntu and Why is it Used for Nginx? Ubuntu is a Linux-based operating system designed for open-source use. It is regularly updated, secure, and…
- Perfect Server Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx Perfect Server Ubuntu 18.04 Nginx 1. Introduction Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distributions. It is popular due to its user friendliness and availability of excellent free software…
- Nginx Digitalocean To Docker Node Nginx Digitalocean To Docker Node What is Nginx? Nginx is a high performance web server used to serve static content. Developed by Igor Sysoev in 2004, Nginx is now widely…
- Install Letsencrypt Debian 9 Nginx Install Letsencrypt Debian 9 Nginx What is Letsencrypt? Letsencrypt is an open source, free, automated SSL service that provides users with the ability to secure their websites and use HTTPS…
- Install Nginx Latest Ubuntu 16.04 Install Nginx Latest Ubuntu 16.04 What is Nginx? Nginx is a web server. It is also an open source and free software. It was first developed by Igor Sysoev in…
- How To Know If Nginx Is Working For A Directory How To Know If Nginx Is Working For A Directory Nginx is a popular open-source web server that is widely used in many websites and applications. It is known for…
- 502 Bad Gateway Nginx Uwsgi Flask Sock 502 Bad Gateway Nginx Uwsgi Flask Sock What is Nginx? Nginx is an open source, high-performance web server. It is capable of handling a large number of concurrent connections and…
- Nginx Com Vs Nginx Org Nginx Com Vs Nginx Org What is Nginx Com? Nginx Com is a commercial and open source web server and a reverse proxy developed and maintained by Nginx Incorporated. Founded…
- Nginx Vs Apache Performance Benchmark Nginx Vs Apache Performance Benchmark Introduction As web development continues to evolve, it’s essential for websites to stay ahead of the competition. Using the right server-side web service is essential…
- Nginx Ssl Port For Https Nginx SSL Port For HTTPS What is Nginx? Nginx is an open-source, high performance web server software used to serve high-traffic websites and other web applications. Nginx has been the…
- How To Configure Https Owncloud Using Nginx Ubuntu How To Configure Https Owncloud Using Nginx Ubuntu What Is OwnCloud? OwnCloud is an open-source file synchronization and hosting service. It is developed primarily to provide a web service, allowing…
- Nginx Vs Apache Wordpress Benchmark Nginx Vs Apache Wordpress Benchmark What Are Nginx and Apache? Nginx and Apache are two of the most popular web server software applications on the market today. Nginx is a…
- How To Login Phpmyadmin In Nginx Server Ubuntu How To Login Phpmyadmin In Nginx Server Ubuntu What is Nginx & phpMyAdmin Nginx is a web server software that is commonly used on Linux-based systems, though it works on…
- Failed To Start Nginx High Perform Failed To Start Nginx High Perform What Is Nginx? Nginx is an open-source web server software developed by Igor Sysoev in 2002. It is used to serve static and dynamic…
- Centos 7 Nginx Letsencrypt Https And Https Centos 7 Nginx Letsencrypt Https And Https Overview Many web servers require secure communications through the HTTPS protocol, and the most common way to do this is with the help…