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joseph osuorji
joseph osuorji

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🚀 Hosting My Portfolio on KillerCoda Using Nginx

#linux #devops #tutorial #beginners

A Hands-On DevOps Practice Task

During one of our DevOps sessions in the Tech With Achievers bootcamp, our tutor gave us a practical assignment:

Create a personal portfolio and host it using Nginx on KillerCoda.

This was a great opportunity to get hands-on with Linux, Nginx, and basic web deployment.
In this article, I’ll walk you through exactly how I hosted my portfolio using KillerCoda’s free cloud playground.

🧩 Why KillerCoda?

KillerCoda provides temporary Linux environments where you can practice DevOps tasks without installing anything locally.
Perfect for learning Linux commands and testing quick deployments.

🛠️ Steps to Host a Portfolio on KillerCoda with Nginx

1. Launch a Linux Playground

  • Sign up or login into KillerCoda. [https://killercoda.com]
  • Go to Playground.
  • Choose an Ubuntu environment.
  • Wait for the terminal to load.

2. Install Nginx
Run:

Sudo apt install nginx -y
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Verify the installation:

nginx -version
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If it prints a version number, Nginx is good to go.

3. Navigate to the Web Root


cd /var/www/html
ls
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You’ll find the default file:


index.nginx-debian.html
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Feel free to remove it:


sudo rm index.nginx-debian.html
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4. Add Your Portfolio

Create your own index.html:

Sudo nano index.html
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Paste your portfolio code into the nano editor.

Save and exit:

CTRL + X > Y > Enter
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5. Expose Port 80

On the left sidebar in KillerCoda:

-Open the hamburger menu

-Click Port 80

This exposes your Nginx server to the internet.


6. View Your Live Portfolio

KillerCoda generates a public URL.
Open it in your browser — your portfolio should now be live.

đź“š What I Learned

  • How to install and configure Nginx

  • How static websites are served from /var/www/html

  • How ports work (specifically HTTP on port 80)

  • How cloud sandboxes help in DevOps learning

  • Practical web hosting workflow on Linux

This mini-project boosted my confidence in server management and basic deployment.

Top comments (2)

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owojori_rachael_76da91f4f profile image
Owojori Rachael •

weldone my friend

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josephosuorji profile image
joseph osuorji •

Thank you!!