Website on the Server

This guide explains how to deploy and configure a website on your server, covering DNS configuration, web server setup, SSL certificates, and common configurations.

Prerequisites

Before deploying your website, ensure you have:

  • Domain name - Registered and accessible
  • Server access - SSH access to your server
  • Web server - Apache or Nginx installed
  • PHP - If using PHP-based websites
  • Database - MySQL/MariaDB if needed

Step 1: Prepare Your Server

Install Web Server

For Apache (Ubuntu/Debian):

apt update
apt install apache2
systemctl start apache2
systemctl enable apache2

For Nginx (Ubuntu/Debian):

apt update
apt install nginx
systemctl start nginx
systemctl enable nginx

Install PHP

apt install php php-fpm php-mysql php-cli php-curl php-gd php-mbstring php-xml

Install Database Server

apt install mysql-server
mysql_secure_installation

Step 2: Configure DNS

Point your domain to your server:

Create DNS Records

At your domain registrar, create:

  • A Record: @ → your-server-ip
  • A Record: www → your-server-ip

Verify DNS Propagation

Check DNS propagation:

dig yourdomain.com
nslookup yourdomain.com

Wait 24-48 hours for DNS to fully propagate globally.

Step 3: Create Website Directory

Create Document Root

mkdir -p /var/www/yourdomain.com
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/yourdomain.com
chmod -R 755 /var/www/yourdomain.com

Upload Website Files

Upload your website files to the directory:

# Using SCP
scp -r /local/path/* user@server:/var/www/yourdomain.com/

# Or use FTP/SFTP client

Step 4: Configure Web Server

Apache Configuration

Create virtual host file:

nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.com.conf

Add configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/yourdomain.com
    
    <Directory /var/www/yourdomain.com>
        Options -Indexes +FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>
    
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/yourdomain.com-error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/yourdomain.com-access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable site:

a2ensite yourdomain.com.conf
a2enmod rewrite
systemctl reload apache2

Nginx Configuration

Create server block:

nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com

Add configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
    root /var/www/yourdomain.com;
    index index.html index.php;

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

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

Enable site:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain.com /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx

Step 5: Install SSL Certificate

Using Let's Encrypt (Certbot)

Install Certbot:

apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache  # For Apache
# or
apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx   # For Nginx

Get certificate:

certbot --apache -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com  # Apache
# or
certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com -d www.yourdomain.com   # Nginx

Certbot will automatically:

  1. Obtain SSL certificate
  2. Configure HTTPS redirect
  3. Set up auto-renewal

Manual SSL Configuration

If using commercial SSL:

  1. Upload certificate files to /etc/ssl/
  2. Configure web server to use certificates
  3. Set up HTTPS redirect

Step 6: Configure Database (If Needed)

Create Database

mysql -u root -p

CREATE DATABASE yourdb;
CREATE USER 'dbuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'strong_password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON yourdb.* TO 'dbuser'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Update Website Configuration

Update your website's configuration file with database credentials:

// Example for PHP application
define('DB_HOST', 'localhost');
define('DB_USER', 'dbuser');
define('DB_PASS', 'strong_password');
define('DB_NAME', 'yourdb');

Step 7: Set Permissions

Correct File Permissions

# Set ownership
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/yourdomain.com

# Set directory permissions
find /var/www/yourdomain.com -type d -exec chmod 755 {} \;

# Set file permissions
find /var/www/yourdomain.com -type f -exec chmod 644 {} \;

# For writable directories (uploads, cache)
chmod -R 775 /var/www/yourdomain.com/uploads

Step 8: Test Your Website

Verify Website is Accessible

curl -I http://yourdomain.com

Check Web Server Logs

# Apache
tail -f /var/log/apache2/yourdomain.com-error.log

# Nginx
tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log

Common Configurations

PHP Configuration

Edit PHP settings:

nano /etc/php/8.1/fpm/php.ini

Common settings:

upload_max_filesize = 64M
post_max_size = 64M
memory_limit = 256M
max_execution_time = 300

Restart PHP-FPM:

systemctl restart php8.1-fpm

Enable Gzip Compression

For Nginx, add to server block:

gzip on;
gzip_vary on;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript text/xml application/xml;

Security Best Practices

  1. Keep software updated - Regularly update OS, web server, PHP
  2. Use strong passwords - For database, FTP, SSH
  3. Configure firewall - Only allow necessary ports
  4. Install fail2ban - Protect against brute force attacks
  5. Regular backups - Automate website backups
  6. Use HTTPS - Always use SSL certificates
  7. Restrict file permissions - Don't use 777 permissions

Troubleshooting

Website Shows "403 Forbidden"

Check file permissions and ownership:

ls -la /var/www/yourdomain.com
chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/yourdomain.com

Website Shows "500 Internal Server Error"

Check error logs and PHP configuration:

tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log
php -v

SSL Certificate Not Working

Verify certificate installation:

certbot certificates
certbot renew --dry-run

FAQ

How long does DNS propagation take?

Typically 24-48 hours, but can be immediate to several hours depending on TTL settings.

Do I need a control panel to manage websites?

No, but control panels like cPanel, Plesk, or ISPmanager make management easier.

Can I host multiple websites on one server?

Yes, configure multiple virtual hosts/server blocks for each domain.

How do I backup my website?

Use rsync, tar, or backup scripts. Many control panels include automated backup features.