> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://notes.kodekloud.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Demo First Website with Nginx > Guide to creating and serving a minimal Hello World website with NGINX, including configuration, document root, enabling site, testing with Host header, and troubleshooting. This lesson walks through creating a minimal "Hello World" website served by NGINX on a single host. Follow these steps in order: * Verify NGINX is running. * Create a simple server block in `sites-available`. * Create the document root and `index.html`. * Enable the site and test it locally using the `Host` header. ## 1. Verify NGINX is running Check the service status and start it if necessary: ```bash theme={null} sudo systemctl status nginx sudo systemctl start nginx ``` Confirm the default page is served: ```bash theme={null} curl localhost ``` Example returned HTML (truncated): ```html theme={null} Welcome to nginx! ... ``` This verifies that NGINX is installed and serving the default page. ## 2. Become root and inspect NGINX configuration directories To avoid prefixing `sudo` for each command, switch to root for the remainder of the setup (optional but convenient): ```bash theme={null} sudo su cd /etc/nginx ll ``` You should see `sites-available/` and `sites-enabled/` among the configuration files. Then change into `sites-available`: ```bash theme={null} cd /etc/nginx/sites-available ll ``` Typically you'll see a `default` file here. ## 3. Create a new site configuration Copy the default site config to a new file named `helloworld`: ```bash theme={null} cp default helloworld ``` Edit `helloworld` and simplify it to the essentials: `listen`, `root`, `index`, and `server_name`. Remove commented examples to keep the file focused. Example minimal `helloworld` server block: ```nginx theme={null} server { listen 80; root /var/www/helloworld; # Add index.php to the list if you are using PHP index index.html index.htm index.nginx-debian.html; server_name helloworld.com; location / { # First attempt to serve request as file, then as directory, # then fall back to displaying a 404. try_files $uri $uri/ =404; } } ``` Notes: * Do not use `listen 80 default_server;` in more than one server block — this causes a duplicate default server error. * Set `server_name` to the hostname you intend to serve (we'll test this with a Host header). Set `server_name` to the hostname you intend to serve (for example, `helloworld.com`). NGINX uses the `Host` header to select the matching server block; if no match is found, NGINX serves the first matching server block (often the default). ## 4. Create the document root and index page Create the document root that matches the `root` directive and add a basic `index.html`: ```bash theme={null} mkdir -p /var/www/helloworld cd /var/www/helloworld ``` Create the index file: ```html theme={null}

Hello World!

``` Ensure the file is named `index.html` because the server block uses `index index.html` in its `index` list. ## 5. Enable the site (sites-available → sites-enabled) Enable the site by creating a symbolic link from `sites-available` to `sites-enabled`: ```bash theme={null} ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/helloworld /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ ``` Verify the symlink exists: ```bash theme={null} ll /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ # you should see something like: # lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 37 Feb 5 14:07 helloworld -> /etc/nginx/sites-available/helloworld ``` ## 6. Test NGINX configuration and reload Always test NGINX configuration syntax before reloading: ```bash theme={null} nginx -t ``` Common error example: ```text theme={null} nginx: [emerg] a duplicate default server for 0.0.0.0:80 in /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/helloworld:3 nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test failed ``` This indicates two server blocks are configured as the `default_server`. Fix the conflicting `listen` lines (remove `default_server` from one) or disable the default site, then re-run the test: ```bash theme={null} nginx -t # nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok # nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful ``` Reload NGINX to apply the new configuration: ```bash theme={null} nginx -s reload ``` (Alternatively: `systemctl reload nginx`.) ## 7. Test locally using the Host header If you switched to root, return to your regular user for testing: ```bash theme={null} exit ``` A plain `curl localhost` will still return the default "Welcome to nginx!" page because the request lacks a `Host` header matching `helloworld.com`: ```bash theme={null} curl localhost # returns the default "Welcome to nginx!" HTML ``` To test the `helloworld.com` site without DNS, send the `Host` header explicitly: ```bash theme={null} curl --header "Host: helloworld.com" localhost ``` You should get the Hello World page: ```html theme={null}

Hello World!

``` If you pass a `Host` header that doesn't match any `server_name` in your enabled configs (for example `Host: someunknown`), NGINX will serve the first available server block (often the default). Proper `server_name` configuration and testing are important. ## Quick reference: useful paths and commands | Item | Purpose | Example | | --------------------- | ------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | NGINX config dir | Main configuration files | `/etc/nginx` | | Available sites | Site definitions (not enabled) | `/etc/nginx/sites-available/` | | Enabled sites | Active site symlinks | `/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/` | | Create site file | Copy default stub | `cp default helloworld` | | Enable site | Create symlink to enable | `ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/helloworld /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/` | | Test config | Syntax check before reload | `nginx -t` | | Reload NGINX | Apply configuration changes | `nginx -s reload` or `systemctl reload nginx` | | Test with Host header | Verify virtual host selection | `curl --header "Host: helloworld.com" localhost` | ## Troubleshooting tips * Duplicate default server error: remove `default_server` from one `listen` directive or disable the default site. * 403 Forbidden: check filesystem permissions and ownership for `/var/www/helloworld` and the index file. * Still seeing default page: ensure your `Host` header matches `server_name` or update `/etc/hosts`/DNS accordingly. ## 8. Next steps * If you want this site reachable from other machines, open port 80 in your firewall. On Ubuntu, use `ufw`: ```bash theme={null} sudo ufw allow http ``` * Use DNS or update `/etc/hosts` for a friendly hostname (e.g., `helloworld.com`) in your testing environment. * For production, configure TLS (HTTPS) using a certificate from Let's Encrypt or another CA, and consider a reverse proxy or load balancer if needed. Resources and further reading: * NGINX official docs: [https://nginx.org/en/docs/](https://nginx.org/en/docs/) * Ubuntu `ufw` guide: [https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UFW](https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UFW) * curl manual: [https://curl.se/docs/manpage.html](https://curl.se/docs/manpage.html) That’s it — you now have a minimal NGINX-hosted site and know how to test virtual hosts locally using the `Host` header.