How to Use Nginx to Host a Static File Server ​

Nginx is a web server that can be used to host static files. This tutorial describes how to use Nginx to host a static file server.

After completing this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Browse directories
• Navigate to subdirectories and files
• Download files through the browser

Configure Nginx ​

First, you need to have Nginx installed. If you have not installed Nginx, you can refer to other tutorials.

After installing Nginx, you can configure it to host a static file server. Check /etc/nginx/nginx.conf to see if the configuration file is divided into multiple files. You can use the following command to open it:

vi /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

If you can see include /etc/nginx/conf.d/*.conf; in the http section, it means that the configuration file is divided into multiple files.

You can use the following command to create a new configuration file:

vi /etc/nginx/conf.d/static-file-server.conf

Note: You may need to use sudo to run the above command. sudo vi /etc/nginx/conf.d/static-file-server.conf

Then, add the following configuration to the file:

server {
    listen       80;
    server_name  static-file-server.tinkink.net; # Change to your domain name

    root /path/to/your/static/files; # Change to your static file directory

    autoindex on; # Enable directory listing

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
    }
}

Here, listen specifies the listening port, server_name specifies the domain name or IP address, root specifies the static file directory, and autoindex enables directory listing.

location / matches the root path, try_files specifies the files to try, and returns a 404 error if the file is not found.

Restart Nginx ​

After configuring Nginx, you need to restart it to make the configuration take effect:

sudo systemctl restart nginx

or

sudo service nginx restart

Access the Site ​

Now you can access the site through the browser, for example: http://static-file-server.tinkink.net

Permissions ​

Ensure that the directory permissions are set correctly to prevent security issues. Since nginx may use a unique user nginx to run. You should set the owner and group of the directory to this user group. You can use the following command to set the permissions:

chown -R nginx:nginx /path/to/your/static/files

Additionally, if the static file directory is located in the user's home directory, you also need to ensure that the home directory and static file directory have the correct access permissions. It's a little complicated, so I will recommend that you move the static file directory out of the home directory.

If you consistently use home directories, you will need add the nginx user to your user group. You can use the following command:

usermod -a -G {username} nginx

Then, you need to add permissions to the group. You can use the following command:

chmod g+rwx /home/{username}

Note: Replace {username} with your username.

If it still doesn't work, you can try to turn off SELinux. You can use the following command:

sudo setenforce 0

If now it works, you can permanently disable SELinux. Open the /etc/selinux/config file and change the SELINUX=enforcing to SELINUX=disabled, then save and restart the system.

Conclusion ​

Setting up a static file server with Nginx is easy, but if you want to put the files in home directory, it may be a little complicated.