Arch Linux Web Servers Guide

Complete beginner-friendly guide to web servers on Arch Linux, including Apache, Nginx, and web server configuration.

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Table of Contents

1. Apache
2. Nginx
3. Web Server Configuration
4. Troubleshooting

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Apache

Install Apache

Install Apache:

# Install Apache
sudo pacman -S apache

# Enable service
sudo systemctl enable httpd
sudo systemctl start httpd

# Check status
systemctl status httpd

Apache Configuration

Configure Apache:

# Edit config
sudo vim /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

# Edit virtual hosts
sudo vim /etc/httpd/conf/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

Test Apache

Test server:

# Check if running
curl http://localhost

# Or open browser
# http://localhost

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Nginx

Install Nginx

Install Nginx:

# Install Nginx
sudo pacman -S nginx

# Enable service
sudo systemctl enable nginx
sudo systemctl start nginx

# Check status
systemctl status nginx

Nginx Configuration

Configure Nginx:

# Edit config
sudo vim /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

# Edit site config
sudo vim /etc/nginx/sites-available/example

Test Nginx

Test server:

# Check if running
curl http://localhost

# Or open browser
# http://localhost

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Web Server Configuration

Virtual Hosts

Apache virtual host:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example
</VirtualHost>

Nginx server block:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;
    root /var/www/example;
}

SSL/TLS

Install certificates:

# Install certbot
sudo pacman -S certbot certbot-apache certbot-nginx

# Get certificate
sudo certbot --apache
sudo certbot --nginx

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Troubleshooting

Server Not Starting

Check logs:

# Apache logs
sudo journalctl -u httpd

# Nginx logs
sudo journalctl -u nginx

# Check config
sudo apachectl configtest
sudo nginx -t

Port Conflicts

Check ports:

# Check listening ports
ss -tlnp | grep :80
ss -tlnp | grep :443

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Summary

This guide covered Apache, Nginx, web server configuration, and troubleshooting.

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Next Steps

• Arch Linux Networking - Network setup
• Arch Linux Security Configuration - Security
• ArchWiki Web Servers: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/List_of_applications/Internet#Web_servers

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This guide is based on the ArchWiki. For the most up-to-date information, always refer to the official ArchWiki.