When we talk about the Apache server , we are also talking about a popular alternative option that most web sites may have. In fact, for some time now, about a third of all websites have been powered by this server, which shows its viability.
Are you looking to configure Apache2 virtual hosts in Ubuntu? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we will guide you through the process step by step, ensuring that you can easily set up and manage virtual hosts on your Ubuntu server. By the end of this article, you’ll have the expertise and confidence to configure Apache2 virtual hosts like a pro!
Configuring Apache2 virtual hosts in Ubuntu involves several steps. I’ll outline the process in a tabular format for clarity:
| Step | Action | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Install Apache2 | Use the command sudo apt-get install apache2 to install Apache2 on your Ubuntu server. |
| 2 | Create Directory Structure | Create directories for your website(s) in /var/www/ e.g., /var/www/yourdomain.com. |
| 3 | Set Permissions | Set appropriate permissions for the directories using sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/yourdomain.com. |
| 4 | Create Demo Page (Optional) | Create a simple HTML file in the directory as an initial placeholder. |
| 5 | Create New Virtual Host File | Copy the default config file using sudo cp /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.com.conf. |
| 6 | Edit Virtual Host File | Edit the new config file with sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.com.conf and configure as needed. |
| 7 | Enable the New Virtual Host | Use sudo a2ensite yourdomain.com.conf to enable the new site. |
| 8 | Disable Default Site (Optional) | If needed, disable the default site with sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf. |
| 9 | Test for Configuration Errors | Check for syntax errors with sudo apache2ctl configtest. |
| 10 | Restart Apache2 | Restart Apache to apply changes with sudo systemctl restart apache2. |
| 11 | Update Local Hosts File (For Local Testing) | Add your domain to the /etc/hosts file for local testing, if necessary. |
| 12 | Adjust Firewall Settings (If Applicable) | Modify firewall settings to allow web traffic, if a firewall is in use. |
Remember, this is a basic guide and your specific needs may require additional steps or modifications. Always ensure you have backups and understand the changes you are making to your server configuration.
On the other hand, it is also presented as robust and with sufficient accessibility to all developers who want to work on it. All this attraction to Apache, in fact, lies in the fact that it is possible to host different types of domains within the same IP through a matching system, which leaves the server administrator a lot of freedom with which to work.
On the other hand, each virtual host that is configured through Apache takes each visitor to a certain directory, in which all the information of the site they want to find is stored.
This is done through a process in which the visitor never realizes that the same server is working on the basis of other websites, which creates a large ramification of sites that can be expanded as long as the tools for it.
That is why, if all this catches your attention and you want to install Apache2 or you are simply in the trouble of using this type of tool with your sites, we will show you how you can download and configure different virtual hosts through Apache in Ubuntu . So, stay with us and keep reading carefully as we will tell you about everything you need to know about it.
What you need to know
Now, in order to start configuring your server, you first need to download Apache to your computer . This you have to do through a non-root user, and you can do it using an apt package with the lines ” $ sudo aptupdate ” followed by ” $ sudo aptinstall apache2 “.
We also remind you that in the step by step in which we will tell you how you can configure your Apache server, you will have to change the “example.com” for the name of the site in question. Also, you should know that you can restart your Apache server when you think necessary .
Setting up a virtual host with Apache
First, we must find a directory structure that can show the data that the visitor sees when they enter the site. Every time we are going to create a directory, we have to do it through the creation of a “public_html” where all the relevant files will be, which will help with the hosting.
We can do this through the lines “ $ sudo mkdir –p /var/www/example.com/public_html ” followed by “ $ sudo mkdir –p /var/www/example.com/public_html ”.
Now, we have to grant the necessary permissions to regular users, which we do with the lines “ $ sudo chown -R $ USER: $ USER /var/www/example.com/public_html ” followed by “ $ sudo chown -R $ USER: $ USER /var/www/example.com/public_html ”.
Keep in mind that the “$ USER” will be the user that is open as soon as the “enter” key is pressed. Also, you must configure the read access permissions with “ $ sudo chmod -R 755 / var / www ”.
Now, we only have to start creating all the virtual host files so that the creation of the same begins, which we should do after creating the creation pages.
We can do this through the codes of ” <html> ” followed by ” <head> ” followed by ” <title> Welcome to example.com! </title> ” followed by two more lines of head and body, to then put “ <h1> Success! The example.com virtual host isworking! </h1> ”, followed by another two lines of body and html respectively.
And, in the end, the file that will start with the new hosts should look like one where the serveradmin, the documentroot, the errorlog and the customlog are displayed.
All this, with the necessary knowledge and codes, you will be able to form your virtual host with Apache, and then only customize it respectively.
