Configuring NGINX and Installing SSL with Certbot.

When it comes to configuring Nginx on your server and installing an SSL certificate with Certbot, this article provides a perfect guide.

Prerequisites:

Before you begin, ensure that you have the following:

• A Server Running: Access to a server(e.g., Ubuntu).
• Application Running on a Specific Port: Your application should be running on a specific port (e.g., port 3000).
• Open HTTP and HTTPS Ports: Ensure that ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS) are open in your server’s firewall.
• Domain Name: A registered domain name that points to your server’s IP address.

Step 1:- Installation

First, install NGINX using the following command:

sudo apt install nginx

Stpe 2:- Delete the Default NGINX Configuration and Set Up Your Own.

• To delete the default configuration, run the following command:

sudo rm /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

• Next, create a new configuration file and edit it:

sudo vi /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

After running the command above, an editing terminal will open. Press i to enter insert mode, then paste the following configuration.

Note: Replace <your_domain_name> with your actual domain name (e.g., example.com) (if you don’t have any domain then write server_name _; for localhost).

Ensure that the localhost port matches your server's port if not matches then edit the port in this configuration.

events {
    # Event directives...
}

http {
        server {
                listen 80;
                server_name <your_domain_name>;

                location / {
                proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
                proxy_http_version 1.1;
                proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
                proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
                proxy_set_header Host $host;
                proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
                }
        }
}

After making these changes, press Esc to exit insert mode, then type :wq (write and quit) and press Enter.

Step 3:- Reload NGINX to Apply the New Configuration

To apply the new configuration, run:

sudo nginx -s reload

Congratulations! Your domain is now configured.

step 4:- Install Certbot

Now, to secure your domain, you need to install Certbot, which provides free SSL certificates. Run:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx

step 5:- Obtain Your Certificate

Replace <your_domain_name> with your actual domain name. When prompted, provide your email address, and Certbot will generate your certificate in a few seconds:

sudo certbot --nginx -d <your_domain_name>

🔥 Your domain is now secure!

Additional Commands

To check if your certificate is close to expiring, run:

sudo certbot renew --dry-run

To renew your Certbot certificate, execute:

sudo certbot renew

Thank you for reading!