Linux-101/Linux-201/Lab-Sheet.md

Linux 201: Web Server Setup

Introduction

• Goals

  • Understand the process of setting up a web server
  • Understand why security is important when setting a web server.
  • Setup a basic web server to serve static files

• Non-goals - links to useful tutorials will be provided at the end of this lab sheet

  • Setting up HTTPS - This requires a domain name

Things to mention in the slide deck

• Apache vs Nginx
  • Thread-based vs event-based servers

Basic Security

• Creating a non-root account
  • sudo permissions
  • The Linux security model: Knowing why you're typing your password
• SSH
  • Disable root login
  • SSH Keys
• Firewall
  • ufw
  • https://starbeamrainbowlabs.com/blog/article.php?article=posts/047-Linux-Security-Part-1.html

Installing a Web Server

With our server secured, we can now install our web server. In this tutorial, we'll be using Nginx.

• systemd services
  • Nginx is a service
• Installing Nginx
  • sudo apt install nginx

Configuration

• /etc/nginx/nginx.conf
• /etc/nginx/sites-available/*
• /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/*

References and Further Reading

• Nginx
• How to Secure a Linux Server
• SSL Certificates
• Freeside Discord Invite