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Commonly used Linux commands by DevOps engineers - Version 2

#devops #bash #aws #linux

Host Your Static Website and Node.js API on EC2 Using Nginx

Learn how to deploy a static website and a Node.js backend API on an AWS EC2 instance using Nginx and PM2. This step-by-step guide covers everything from SSH access to process management, making your setup production-ready.

Table of Contents

  1. File Permissions and SSH Keys

  2. SSH into EC2

  3. Update Packages

  4. Install Nginx

  5. Start & Enable Nginx

  6. Test with curl

  7. Copy Files from WSL to EC2

  8. Move Files to Nginx Root

  9. Install Node.js Using NVM

  10. Install PM2

  11. Start Node.js API with PM2

  12. Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy

  13. Next Steps / Tips

1️⃣ File Permissions and SSH Keys 

chmod 400 ~/DevOps.pem
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  • What it does: Sets permissions so only the owner can read the private key.

  • Purpose: SSH requires strict key permissions for security.

  • Tip: Without this, SSH will refuse to use your .pem key.

2️⃣ SSH into EC2 

ssh -i ~/DevOps.pem ec2-user@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP
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  • ssh → connects securely to your EC2 instance.

  • -i ~/DevOps.pem → specifies the private key for authentication.

  • Purpose: Gain access to manage your server remotely

3️⃣ Update Packages (Amazon Linux) 

sudo yum update -y
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  • Purpose: Keeps the system secure and prepares it for new software.

4️⃣ Install Nginx 

sudo yum install nginx -y
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  • Purpose: Installs Nginx web server to serve static content and act as a reverse proxy.

5️⃣ Start & Enable Nginx 

sudo systemctl start nginx
sudo systemctl enable nginx
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  • start → starts Nginx immediately.

  • enable → ensures Nginx runs after reboot.

  • Purpose: Keep your web server running persistently.

6️⃣ Test with curl

Basic test 

curl http://localhost
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  • Checks if Nginx is serving content.

Check HTTP headers 

curl -I http://localhost
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  • -I → fetch only HTTP headers to verify status code (200 OK).

7️⃣ Copy Files from WSL to EC2 

scp -i ~/DevOps.pem -r ~/DevOps ec2-user@YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:/home/ec2-user/
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  • scp → securely copies files over SSH

  • -r → recursive copy (entire folder)

  • Purpose: Deploy your local project to the EC2 instance

8️⃣ Move Files to Nginx Root 

sudo mv ~/DevOps /usr/share/nginx/html/
sudo chmod -R 755 /usr/share/nginx/html/DevOps
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  • mv → moves files/folders

  • chmod -R 755 → owner can write, everyone else can read/execute

  • Purpose: Make static site accessible via Nginx

9️⃣ Install Node.js Using NVM 

curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.6/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install --lts
nvm alias default lts/*
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Step-by-step:

  • curl -o- URL | bash → downloads and installs NVM

  • source ~/.bashrc → loads NVM into current shell

  • nvm install --lts → installs latest Node.js LTS

  • nvm alias default lts/* → makes LTS version the default in all new shells

  • Purpose: Safely manage Node.js versions; ensures your backend always runs on the latest stable LTS.

10️⃣ Install PM2 

npm install -g pm2
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  • npm → Node.js package manager

  • -g → global install

  • Purpose: Install PM2, a process manager for Node.js, to keep your API running in the background.

11️⃣ Start Node.js API with PM2 

pm2 start ~/api/server.js --name my-api
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  • pm2 start → runs your Node.js API under PM2 supervision

  • --name → gives the process a friendly name for easy management

  • Purpose: Keep your API running continuously; auto-restarts if it crashes.

⚠️ Note: server.js must exist at ~/api/server.js before running this command. PM2 cannot create the file for you.

12️⃣ Configure Nginx Reverse Proxy 

sudo tee /etc/nginx/conf.d/reverse.conf > /dev/null <<'EOF'
server {
    listen 80;
    location / {
        root /usr/share/nginx/html/DevOps;
        index index.html;
    }
    location /api/ {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000/;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}
EOF

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
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  • tee → writes the config file

  • nginx -t → tests for syntax errors

  • systemctl reload nginx → reloads configuration without downtime

  • Purpose: Serve your static site and forward /api requests to your Node.js backend

13️⃣ Next Steps / Tips

  • Use pm2 save and pm2 startup to ensure Node.js API restarts after EC2 reboot.

  • Add HTTPS using Certbot + Nginx for a secure website.

  • For frequent deployments, consider rsync -avz instead of scp to sync only changed files.

  • Monitor logs with pm2 logs my-api to troubleshoot your backend.

✅ Key Categories

Category Commands Purpose
SSH / File transfer ssh, scp Connect and deploy files to EC2
Package management yum update, apt update Keep system up-to-date
Web server nginx, systemctl start/enable Serve static content & reverse proxy
Testing curl Verify server & headers
Node.js management nvm install --lts, nvm alias default Install latest LTS Node
Process management npm install -g pm2, pm2 start Keep API running
Permissions & deployment chmod, mv Ensure proper file access for web serving
Nginx config tee /etc/nginx/conf.d/..., nginx -t, systemctl reload Configure reverse proxy and static site

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