Ravindra BagaleCourses & study guides

7. Apache and Nginx: Install and Understand

7.3 Installing Nginx and Apache on Amazon Linux 2023

Chala, install karuya. Amazon Linux madhe install nantar service aapoaap start hot nahi – service start aani systemctl enable donhi karava lagtat.

sudo yum install -y nginx
sudo service nginx start
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo service nginx status
sudo nginx -t                              # test configuration syntax
curl -I http://localhost                   # expect HTTP/1.1 200 OK
ls /usr/share/nginx/html                   # default web root

Apache on Amazon Linux 2023

sudo yum install -y httpd
sudo service httpd start
sudo systemctl enable httpd
sudo service httpd status
sudo apachectl configtest                  # expect "Syntax OK"
echo "<h1>Apache on Amazon Linux 2023</h1>" | sudo tee /var/www/html/index.html
curl http://localhost

Amazon Linux 2 (older)

On Amazon Linux 2 use sudo yum install -y httpd, and for Nginx sudo amazon-linux-extras install -y nginx1. Everything else (paths, service names) is the same.

Why this matters for security

A fresh install shows a default test page and a version banner. Replace the test page with your own content and hide versions (section 8.9) before a server faces the internet – default pages are a quick fingerprint for attackers.

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

When the site doesn't open in the browser after installing, many students start changing the config. First run curl -I http://localhost on the server itself. If you get 200 here but not in the browser, the problem is outside – the security group, typing https, or the wrong IP.

Lab

On your Amazon Linux instance install Nginx, confirm 200 OK with curl -I http://localhost, then stop it, install Apache and confirm Apache's page instead.