How to Set Up a Web Server (Nginx or Apache) with Custom Virtual Hosts on Ubuntu

Hosting websites on a Cubes Hosting Ubuntu VPS requires web server software to handle incoming HTTP/HTTPS requests and serve web pages to visitors.

By using Virtual Hosts (known as Server Blocks in Nginx or VirtualHosts in Apache), you can host multiple independent websites (such as domain1.com and domain2.com) on a single VPS server, each with its own document root directory, configuration files, and free SSL certificates!

This complete guide will show you how to set up custom Virtual Hosts on Nginx or Apache2 on Ubuntu 22.04 / 24.04 LTS.

Nginx vs. Apache2: Key Differences

Before choosing which web server to install, review how Nginx and Apache compare:

• Choose Nginx if: You want maximum speed, low resource consumption, reverse proxy capabilities, or host high-traffic sites.
• Choose Apache if: Your application or CMS specifically requires .htaccess file rewrites.

Option 1: Setting Up Nginx with Custom Server Blocks (Recommended)

Nginx is an event-driven, ultra-fast web server ideal for high-traffic websites, APIs, and reverse proxies.

Step 1: Install Nginx

sudo apt update && sudo apt install nginx -y

Step 2: Create Web Directory Structure

Create a dedicated folder for your domain's web files under /var/www/:

# Replace example.com with your actual domain name
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com/html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/example.com/html

Create a sample index.html file to test:

echo "<h1>Welcome to example.com on Nginx!</h1>" > /var/www/example.com/html/index.html

Step 3: Create Nginx Server Block File

Create a new configuration file in sites-available:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com

Paste the following Server Block configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    listen [::]:80;

    server_name example.com www.example.com;

    root /var/www/example.com/html;
    index index.html index.htm index.php;

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

    access_log /var/log/nginx/example.com_access.log;
    error_log /var/log/nginx/example.com_error.log;
}

(Save and close: CTRL + O, Enter, CTRL + X).

Step 4: Enable the Nginx Site & Test

Create a symbolic link to activate your site configuration:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/example.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

# Test Nginx syntax for errors
sudo nginx -t

# Reload Nginx to apply changes
sudo systemctl reload nginx

Option 2: Setting Up Apache2 with Custom VirtualHosts

Apache2 is a modular, feature-rich web server widely used for WordPress and PHP applications utilizing .htaccess rewrite rules.

Step 1: Install Apache2

sudo apt update && sudo apt install apache2 -y

Step 2: Create Web Directory Structure

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/example.com/public_html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/example.com/public_html

echo "<h1>Welcome to example.com on Apache!</h1>" > /var/www/example.com/public_html/index.html

Step 3: Create Apache VirtualHost File

Create a new VirtualHost file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/example.com.conf

Paste the following VirtualHost configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    ServerAdmin [email protected]
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html

    <Directory /var/www/example.com/public_html>
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com_error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/example.com_access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Step 4: Enable Apache Site & Reload

# Enable your new site configuration
sudo a2ensite example.com.conf

# Optional: Disable the default Apache fallback page
sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

# Test Apache syntax for errors
sudo apache2ctl configtest

# Reload Apache
sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 5: Open Firewall Ports & Install Free SSL (Certbot)

Whether you chose Nginx or Apache, secure your websites with free SSL certificates using Certbot (Let's Encrypt).

1. Allow HTTP and HTTPS in UFW Firewall:

sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable

2. Issue Free Let's Encrypt SSL Certificates:

• For Nginx:

  sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y
  sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com
  

• For Apache:

  sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y
  sudo certbot --apache -d example.com -d www.example.com
  

Follow the on-screen prompts to enter your email and enable automatic HTTPS redirects!

Conclusion

Setting up Nginx Server Blocks or Apache VirtualHosts allows you to scale your Cubes Hosting Ubuntu VPS to host multiple domain names effortlessly. Open your web ports, secure your sites with Certbot SSL, and manage your web infrastructure with total developer freedom!