Introduction
As part of the HNG DevOps Stage 0 internship task, I was required to install and configure the NGINX web server on a fresh Ubuntu server. The goal was to serve a custom HTML page displaying the message:
Welcome to DevOps Stage 0 - [Your Name]/[SlackName]
This task tested my ability to work with web server configurations, manage an Ubuntu server, and ensure that the deployed page was accessible via a public IP.
Step-by-Step Approach
1. Setting Up the Server
I started by provisioning an Ubuntu server on a cloud platform. I used DigitalOcean, but you can also use AWS, Linode, Google Cloud, or any other provider.
To connect to the instance, I used SSH:
ssh username@[my-server-ip-address]
2. Installing NGINX
After logging into the server, I updated the package lists and installed NGINX:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install nginx -y
Then, I started and enabled the NGINX service to run on system startup:
sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx
To confirm that NGINX was running, I checked its status:
sudo systemctl status nginx
I also tested it by opening http://<your-server-ip>/ in a web browser, which displayed the default NGINX welcome page.
3. Configuring the Custom HTML Page
To meet the task requirements, I modified the default HTML file located at /var/www/html/index.html.
I edited the file:
sudo vim /var/www/html/index.html
And replaced its contents with:
<html>
<head>
<title>Welcome to DevOps Stage 0</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Welcome to DevOps Stage 0 - [Asaolu James]/[Jybium]</h1>
</body>
</html>
I saved the file (CTRL + X, then Y, then Enter) and ensured the changes took effect.
Next, I tested the NGINX configuration:
sudo nginx -t
If the test was successful, I reloaded NGINX:
sudo systemctl reload nginx
Finally, I accessed http://<your-server-ip>/ in my browser, and it correctly displayed my custom message.
Challenges Faced and How I Overcame Them
1. Firewall Issues
Initially, I couldn’t access my NGINX server from the browser. The issue was that port 80 (HTTP) was blocked. To fix this, I allowed HTTP traffic:
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx HTTP'
sudo ufw enable
This resolved the issue.
2. Permission Errors
At one point, I encountered a permission error when editing /var/www/html/index.html. I resolved it by using sudo while editing the file.
How This Task Contributed to My Learning
This task helped me understand:
Web server configuration: Setting up and managing NGINX.
Linux server management: Installing software and troubleshooting errors.
It reinforced my ability to work with cloud infrastructure, an essential skill for DevOps Engineers.
Additionally, this task aligns with roles such as:
Conclusion
Completing this task was a valuable experience that strengthened my understanding of NGINX, Ubuntu, and cloud deployment. Overcoming challenges like firewall issues and permission errors helped reinforce troubleshooting skills.
With this foundation, I look forward to exploring CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure automation in future stages.
Let me know if you found this helpful, and feel free to ask any questions!