Nginx on Windows

If you’re using Nginx on Windows, here’s how you can get started:

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1. Download Nginx

1. Go to the official Nginx download page.
2. Download the latest stable version for Windows (e.g., nginx-x.x.x.zip).

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2. Install Nginx

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to a folder, such as C:\nginx.
2. Open the nginx folder. You’ll see a structure like this:

   C:\nginx
   ├── conf
   ├── html
   ├── logs
   └── nginx.exe

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3. Start Nginx

1. Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell.
2. Navigate to the Nginx directory:

   cd C:\nginx

3. Start Nginx:

   nginx.exe

• Nginx should now be running. Open your browser and go to http://localhost. You should see the default Nginx welcome page.

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4. Basic Configuration

The main configuration file is conf\nginx.conf in the Nginx directory.

1. Open the configuration file in a text editor:

   notepad C:\nginx\conf\nginx.conf

2. Modify it to suit your needs. For example, to set up a basic website:

   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name localhost;
   
       root C:/nginx/html;
       index index.html;
   
       location / {
           try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
       }
   }

3. Save the file and reload Nginx:

   nginx.exe -s reload

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5. Create Your Website

1. Place your HTML files in the html folder:
   • For example: C:\nginx\html\index.html.
2. Access your site at http://localhost.

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6. Stop Nginx

To stop Nginx:

nginx.exe -s stop

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7. Run Nginx as a Windows Service (Optional)

Running Nginx as a service ensures it starts automatically with Windows.

1. Use a tool like NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager) to register Nginx as a service. Download NSSM from https://nssm.cc/.
2. Install the service:

   nssm install nginx

3. Configure the application path to C:\nginx\nginx.exe.

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If you need help with a specific Nginx setup, feel free to ask!