step_by_step.md

Setting up an Nginx Reverse Proxy

1. Run $ sudo apt-get update to download package information from all configured sources.
2. Install Nginx $ sudo apt-get install nginx
3. Check Nginx Status to show if the web server is currently running $ systemctl status nginx

vagrant@ubuntu-xenial:~$ systemctl status nginx
● nginx.service - A high performance web server and a reverse proxy server
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled; vendor preset
   Active: active (running) since Tue 2020-08-04 13:14:21 UTC; 19h ago
  Process: 5177 ExecStop=/sbin/start-stop-daemon --quiet --stop --retry QUIT
  Process: 5186 ExecStart=/usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master_process on; (
  Process: 5181 ExecStartPre=/usr/sbin/nginx -t -q -g daemon on; master_proc
 Main PID: 5188 (nginx)
    Tasks: 3
   Memory: 2.2M
      CPU: 2.784s
   CGroup: /system.slice/nginx.service
           ├─5188 nginx: master process /usr/sbin/nginx -g daemon on; master
           ├─5189 nginx: worker process                           
           └─5190 nginx: worker process                           
lines 1-14/14 (END)

4. Disable the default virtual host, that is pre-configured when Nginx is installed via Ubuntu's packet manager apt. Navigate to /home/ubuntu/environment/ and locate the provision.sh file by typing the following: $ nano provision.sh

Provision.sh

$ cd /home/ubuntu/environment/
$ nano provision.sh

Paste the following:

unlink /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

5. Enter the directory cd /etc/nginx/sites-available/ and create a reverse proxy configuration file.

Provision.sh

cd /etc/nginx/sites-available
nano reverse-proxy.conf

6. Paste the following Nginx configuration. The proxy server redirects all incoming connections on port 80, listening on port 3000.

Provision.sh

server {
  listen 80;
  location / {
      proxy_pass http://192.168.10.100:3000/;
  }
} > default

7. Copy the configuration from /etc/nginx/sites-available to /etc/nginx/sites-enabled using a symbolic link.

Provision.sh

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/reverse-proxy.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/reverse-proxy.conf

8. Test the Nginx configuration file

nginx -t

which returns

nginx: the configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf syntax is ok
nginx: configuration file /etc/nginx/nginx.conf test is successful

9. Restarting Nginx

sudo systemctl restart nginx

10. Run the app. Navigate to cd /home/ubuntu/app/app.js. And run the app by typing the following: node app.js.

which returns

Your app is ready and listening on port 3000

11. Enter the following links into the browser:

http://development.local/

http://development.local/fibonacci/8

http://development.local/posts