Step-by-Step Guide to Hosting a Website with Apache on Linux

3 min readAug 8, 2024

The Apache HTTP Server, commonly referred to as Apache, is one of the most popular and widely used open-source web server software. It provides a robust, secure, and customizable platform for serving web content

Key Features

Modular Architecture: Apache uses a modular approach, allowing users to enable or disable features as needed. Modules can handle various tasks, from authentication and SSL to URL rewriting and proxying.
Configurable and Extensible: Through configuration files (typically httpd.conf), users can fine-tune nearly every aspect of the server's behavior. Apache also supports .htaccess files for directory-level configuration.
Virtual Hosting: Apache can host multiple websites on a single server using virtual hosts. This can be done with name-based or IP-based virtual hosting.
Security Features: Apache provides robust security features, including support for SSL/TLS (through mod_ssl), configurable access controls, and comprehensive logging.
Performance Optimization: It supports various performance tuning options, such as caching, load balancing (via modules like mod_proxy_balancer), and connection handling optimizations.
Support for Various Protocols: Apache supports HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and through modules, can handle other protocols such as FastCGI and WebSocket.
Comprehensive Documentation and Community Support: Apache has extensive documentation and a large, active community, making it easier to find help and resources.
Cross-Platform: Apache runs on a variety of operating systems, including Unix-based systems (like Linux and macOS) and Windows.
Dynamic Content Handling: Through integration with server-side languages (e.g., PHP, Perl) and various application servers, Apache can serve dynamic content effectively.
Logging and Monitoring: It offers detailed logging capabilities to monitor server performance, security events, and user activity, which helps in troubleshooting and analyzing server behavior.

This guide will help you set up a website on a Linux server using Apache

Prerequisites

Make sure you have:

A Linux server (e.g., Ubuntu).
SSH access to your server.
A domain name (optional but helpful).

Step 1: Install Apache

Update your server’s package list:

sudo apt update

Install Apache:

sudo apt install apache2

Start Apache and enable it to start on boot:

sudo systemctl start apache2 
sudo systemctl enable apache2

Step 2: Configure the Firewall

Instead of using UFW, we will use iptables to allow web traffic.

Allow HTTP traffic (port 80):

sudo iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT

Allow HTTPS traffic (port 443), if you plan to use SSL:

sudo iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT

Save these firewall rules so they persist after a reboot:

sudo sh -c "iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4"

Step 3: Set Up Your Website

Create a directory for your website:

sudo mkdir -p /var/www/your_domain/html
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/your_domain/html
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/your_domain

Create a sample HTML file:

nano /var/www/your_domain/html/index.html

Add this simple content:

<html>
<head>
    <title>Welcome to Your Domain!</title>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Success! Your Apache server is working!</h1>
</body>
</html>

Create a new Apache configuration file for your website:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/your_domain.conf

Add the following configuration:

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerAdmin webmaster@your_domain
    ServerName your_domain
    ServerAlias www.your_domain
    DocumentRoot /var/www/your_domain/html
    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
    CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Enable the new website configuration:

sudo a2ensite your_domain.conf

Disable the default website configuration (optional):

sudo a2dissite 000-default.conf

Check the Apache configuration for errors:

sudo apache2ctl configtest

Reload Apache to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl reload apache2

Step 4: Update DNS Settings (Optional)

If you have a domain name, log in to your domain registrar’s website and point your domain to your server’s IP address.

Step 5: Secure Your Website with SSL (Optional)

Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache

Obtain an SSL certificate:

sudo certbot --apache -d your_domain -d www.your_domain

Follow the prompts to set up SSL.

Step 6: Test Your Website

Open your web browser and go to:

http://your_domain
https://your_domain (if you set up SSL)

You should see the sample HTML page you created.

By following these steps, you can host your website on a Linux server using Apache.