How to self-host a website (home or VPS)
Pick home or a VPS first, then put a static site live on nginx: server block, DNS record, firewall rule and TLS certificate, and what changes for an app.
#nginx
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HTTP/1.1 vs HTTP/2 vs HTTP/3 on Your Server
Three version numbers in one nginx config. What HTTP/2 multiplexing and HTTP/3 over QUIC actually change, how to enable each, and when it is worth it.
HTTP vs HTTPS: what changes on your server
HTTP and HTTPS differ on the server side: a second listener, a redirect, HSTS you cannot easily undo, mixed content, and renewal that fails at 3am.
Host your AI-generated app on a VPS
Your agent wrote the app. Now keep it running: systemd supervision, a reverse proxy with TLS, an env file for secrets, backups, and safe redeploys.
Add an Onion-Location header to your site
Publish an Onion-Location header in nginx so Tor Browser offers your onion address, then close the leaks that undo it: redirects and third-party assets.
Deploy Django with Gunicorn and Nginx
Run Django in production on Ubuntu 24.04: uv or venv, Gunicorn on a Unix socket, a systemd unit, Nginx for TLS and static files, plus what breaks first.
mTLS: client certificates with nginx
Lock an admin panel behind mTLS: build a private CA with openssl, issue client certificates, and configure nginx to refuse anyone without one.
nginx Reverse Proxy Config, Explained
Build an nginx reverse proxy server block line by line: proxy_pass, the four headers your app needs, websockets, trailing slashes, and uploads.
Block AI Crawlers on Your Own Server
Measure how much of your traffic is AI crawlers from your own access log, then block or rate limit them in nginx, Apache or Caddy without losing real visitors.
Host an .onion site on your VPS
Run a v3 onion service on Ubuntu with tor and nginx bound to loopback, then close the leaks that link the address back to your public IP.
Nginx vs Caddy vs Traefik: pick a proxy
Three services, one VPS, one public IP. How Nginx, Caddy and Traefik differ on certificates, config cost per app, websockets and Docker routing.
Install Certbot for nginx on Ubuntu 24.04
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx, then one certbot --nginx run for a Let's Encrypt cert. Plus apt vs snap and the port 80 renewal timeout.