How to Compile and Install Nginx from Source on Linux

1. Key Concepts

Open source : source code written in a human‑readable programming language, not directly executable by a computer.

Compilation : translating source code into machine‑readable language.

Executable program : the binary file produced after compilation that can be run.

2. Steps to Compile a Source Program

configure : detects the environment and generates a Makefile. It checks for a suitable compiler, required libraries, OS support, and kernel header files.

Typical usage: ./configure --help – display help.

Common options include installation paths ( --prefix=/path/to/…, --sysconfdir=/path/to/…), enabling or disabling features ( --enable‑FEATURE, --disable‑FEATURE), and specifying dependencies ( --with‑FUNCTION[=…], --without‑FUNCTION).

make : builds the source according to the generated Makefile.

make install : installs the compiled software.

3. Compiling and Installing Nginx

Prerequisite: gcc must be installed.

1. Check the build environment

Key configure options: --prefix: installation directory for Nginx. --conf-path: location of the main configuration file. --with-pcre: path to the PCRE source package. --with-zlib: path to the zlib source package.

2. Compile (invoke gcc)

3. Install

4. Start Nginx

Test with a browser.

5. Post‑installation configuration

1) Make the binary runnable without a full path by creating /etc/profile.d/nginx.sh with appropriate export statements.

2) Simulate a man page by adding a line to /etc/man.config pointing to /usr/local/nginx/man.

3) Simulate library export by creating /etc/ld.so.conf.d/nginx.conf and running ldconfig.

4) Simulate header export by linking the include directory:

ln -sv /usr/local/nginx/include /usr/include/nginx