nginx

Synopsis #

nginx is a high-performance HTTP server and reverse proxy known for its efficiency, low memory footprint, and rich feature set. It supports static content, TLS, FastCGI and SCGI backends, reverse proxying, load balancing, and basic authentication.

nginx is not included in the OpenBSD base system, but is available via packages.

Web Server History on OpenBSD #

OpenBSD historically shipped with Apache 1.3 in base, which was removed due to complexity and security concerns. For a brief period (OpenBSD 5.6 to 5.8), nginx was included as the default web server. It was later removed in favor of a simpler, security-focused alternative: httpd(8), which is now the default in base.

nginx remains available via pkg_add and is well-suited for modern workloads involving TLS termination, static file hosting, FastCGI application serving, and reverse proxy setups.

Web Server Comparison #

The Web overview compares httpd, nginx, and Apache and explains the separate role of relayd.

Installation #

Package versions, dependencies, and OpenBSD README instructions are available in the release package and current package entries. The package branch must match the installed OpenBSD system.

Install nginx from packages:

# pkg_add nginx

This installs:

  • /etc/nginx/nginx.conf – main configuration file
  • /usr/local/sbin/nginx – daemon binary
  • rc.d service script for rcctl(8)

Basic Configuration #

The default configuration file is installed at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.

Minimal example for static file hosting:

worker_processes  1;

events {
    worker_connections  1024;
}

http {
    include       mime.types;
    default_type  application/octet-stream;

    sendfile        on;
    keepalive_timeout  65;

    server {
        listen       80;
        server_name  localhost;

        root /htdocs;
        index index.html;

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

Create the document root and test file:

# mkdir -p /htdocs
# echo "OK" > /htdocs/index.html
# chown -R www:www /htdocs

Starting nginx #

Enable and start the service:

# rcctl enable nginx
# rcctl start nginx

To test or reload configuration:

# nginx -t
# nginx -s reload

The process runs as the _nginx user.

TLS Configuration #

To enable HTTPS, obtain a certificate (e.g., via acme-client) and adjust the configuration:

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name example.org;

    ssl_certificate     /etc/ssl/example.org.fullchain.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/ssl/private/example.org.key;

    root /htdocs;
    index index.html;

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

Do not forget to open port 443 in pf.conf:

pass in on $int_if proto tcp from any to (self) port 443

FastCGI Support (PHP, etc.) #

To serve dynamic content (e.g., via php-fpm):

  1. Install php and php-fpm:
# pkg_add php php-fpm
# rcctl enable php_fpm
# rcctl start php_fpm
  1. Enable the FastCGI pass in nginx:
location ~ \.php$ {
    root           /htdocs;
    fastcgi_pass   unix:/run/php-fpm.sock;
    fastcgi_index  index.php;
    include        fastcgi_params;
    fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
}

Ensure PHP files exist in the document root:

# echo "<?php phpinfo(); ?>" > /htdocs/index.php

Reverse Proxy Example #

nginx can proxy requests to a backend service, such as a Python or Node.js application:

server {
    listen 80;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8080;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}

This setup is commonly used for application frontends, TLS termination, or caching.

Logging and Diagnostics #

Access and error logs are defined in the http block:

access_log  /var/log/nginx/access.log;
error_log   /var/log/nginx/error.log;

To follow logs:

# tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log

Use nginx -t to verify syntax, and rcctl restart nginx after changes.

Security Practices #

  • Run nginx as _nginx (default).
  • Ensure files in /htdocs are owned by www and not world-writable.
  • Use try_files to avoid path traversal.
  • Do not expose nginx to the Internet without enabling TLS.
  • Validate all reverse proxy headers if used.

Example pf.conf rules:

block in proto tcp from any to (self) port { 80 443 }
pass in on $int_if proto tcp from 192.0.2.0/24 to (self) port { 80 443 }
Report a bug