Configure Nginx With Multiple Locations With Different Root Folders on Subdomain

Configuring Nginx to serve different root folders for different locations on a subdomain is a common requirement. You can achieve this by defining multiple location blocks within a server block and specifying different root directives for each location.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to configure Nginx for a subdomain with multiple locations, each pointing to a different root folder:

1. Define the Server Block

Start by defining the server block for your subdomain in your Nginx configuration file. This block will handle requests for the subdomain.

Example Configuration

Assume you want to configure a subdomain sub.example.com, with different root folders for different locations:

• /location1 should serve content from /var/www/subdomain/location1
• /location2 should serve content from /var/www/subdomain/location2

Here’s how you can set it up:

1. Open or Create the Nginx Configuration File

   Typically located in /etc/nginx/sites-available/ or /etc/nginx/conf.d/. For this example, let's use /etc/nginx/sites-available/sub.example.com.

    

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

2. Add the Server Block

    

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   server {
       listen 80;
       server_name sub.example.com;
   
       # Root folder for the main location
       root /var/www/subdomain;
   
       # Default location
       location / {
           try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
       }
   
       # Location for /location1
       location /location1 {
           alias /var/www/subdomain/location1;
           try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
       }
   
       # Location for /location2
       location /location2 {
           alias /var/www/subdomain/location2;
           try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
       }
   
       # Optional: Location for PHP files (if using PHP)
       location ~ \\.php$ {
           include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
           fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
           fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
           include fastcgi_params;
       }
   
       # Optional: Location for static files like images, CSS, JS
       location ~* \\.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif|css|js)$ {
           expires 30d;
           access_log off;
       }
   }
   
   

- **`root /var/www/subdomain;`**: Specifies the root folder for the default location (`/`).
- **`alias /var/www/subdomain/location1;`**: Sets the root folder for the `/location1` URI. Note that `alias` is used here instead of `root` because it allows for serving files under a different path directly.
- **`alias /var/www/subdomain/location2;`**: Similarly, sets the root folder for the `/location2` URI.

1. Save and Close the File

2. Create a Symbolic Link

   If you are using /etc/nginx/sites-available/ and /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ for managing configurations, create a symbolic link:

    

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

3. Test Nginx Configuration

   Before reloading Nginx, check the configuration for syntax errors:

    

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   sudo nginx -t
   

4. Reload Nginx

   Apply the changes by reloading Nginx:

    

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   sudo systemctl reload nginx
   

Additional Considerations

• Permissions: Ensure that the Nginx user (usually www-data) has the correct permissions to read the directories and files.
• Directory Structure: Make sure the directory structure on the filesystem matches what’s specified in the configuration.
• Dynamic Content: If you are serving dynamic content (e.g., PHP files), ensure that the configuration for handling such files (like PHP-FPM) is correctly set up.

Summary

• Define server block: Configure the server block for your subdomain.
• Use alias directive: Specify different root folders for different locations using the alias directive.
• Ensure proper permissions: Verify that Nginx can access the directories.
• Test and reload Nginx: Apply changes by testing and reloading Nginx.

By following these steps, you can effectively configure Nginx to serve different root folders for various locations on a subdomain.

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