How to configure virtual hosts and domain names on Nginx?

Configuring virtual hosts and domain names on Nginx involves setting up server blocks that define how Nginx should handle requests for different domains or subdomains. Each server block can specify a unique domain name, root directory for serving files, and other configurations.

Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Install Nginx

If Nginx is not already installed, you can install it using your package manager. For example, on Ubuntu:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx

Step 2: Create a Configuration File for Your Domain

Create a new configuration file for your domain in the /etc/nginx/sites-available/ directory. For example, for example.com:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com

Step 3: Define the Server Block

In the file, define a server block that specifies the domain name, root directory, and other settings. Here’s an example configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com www.example.com;

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

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

    error_page 404 /404.html;
    location = /404.html {
        internal;
    }

    error_page 500 502 503 504 /50x.html;
    location = /50x.html {
        root /usr/share/nginx/html;
    }
}

Step 4: Enable the Configuration

Create a symbolic link from the sites-available directory to the sites-enabled directory to enable the configuration:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Step 5: Test the Configuration

Test the Nginx configuration to ensure there are no syntax errors:

sudo nginx -t

Step 6: Reload Nginx

Reload Nginx to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Example Explanation

• listen 80;: Specifies that Nginx should listen on port 80 for HTTP requests.
• server_name example.com www.example.com;: Defines the domain names that this server block will respond to.
• root /var/www/example.com;: Specifies the root directory from which Nginx will serve files for this domain.
• index index.html index.htm;: Specifies the default index files to serve if no specific file is requested.
• location / { try_files $uri $uri/ =404; }: Defines how Nginx should handle requests for URLs that don’t correspond to actual files.

Tencent Cloud Recommendation

For hosting your domain and configuring Nginx on a scalable infrastructure, consider using Tencent Cloud’s Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) and Cloud Load Balancer services. These services provide a flexible and reliable environment for deploying and managing your web applications. Additionally, Tencent Cloud’s Cloud DNS service can help you manage your domain names and DNS records efficiently.