How to Set Up a Web Server on CentOS 7

Introduction

Setting up a web server is an essential step for hosting websites, applications, and other online services. This guide will walk you through the process of setting up a web server on CentOS 7, including installing necessary components like Apache, PHP, MySQL, and phpMyAdmin. By following this tutorial, you will have a fully functional web server ready for deployment.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have the following:

Operating System: CentOS 7 (Minimal Installation)
Hardware Requirements:
- RAM: 1GB (Minimum)
- Disk: 25GB (Minimum)
- CPU: 1 Core (Minimum)
Network Requirements:
- Public IP Address
- Domain Name
- DNS Server Configuration
Virtual Machine: DigitalOcean Droplet or similar

Connecting to Your Server (DigitalOcean Droplet)

If you are using DigitalOcean Droplet, follow these steps to connect:

Find Your Droplet's IP Address
- Log in to your DigitalOcean Dashboard.
- Navigate to Droplets and find the Public IP Address of your Droplet.
Connect Using SSH
- On Windows:
  - Download and open PuTTY.
  - Enter your Droplet’s IP address in the Host Name field.
  - Click Open and log in as root.
- On Linux/macOS:
  - Open a terminal and use the following command:
```
bash
ssh root@your-server-ip
```
    Replace your-server-ip with your actual Droplet IP.
(Optional) Connect with SSH Key
- If you added an SSH key during Droplet creation, use:
```
bash
ssh -i /path/to/your/private_key root@your-server-ip
```
  Replace /path/to/your/private_key with the correct path.

Installing Firewall

To secure your server, you need to install and enable a firewall.


bash
# Install Firewalld
yum install firewalld -y

# Start and enable Firewalld
systemctl start firewalld
systemctl enable firewalld

# Verify Firewalld status
systemctl status firewalld

Add SSH Port (22) to Firewall

Port 22 is used for SSH (Secure Shell), which allows secure remote access to your server. It is essential to open this port to enable SSH connections.


bash
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=22/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

Installing Apache Web Server

Apache is one of the most popular web servers available.


bash
# Install Apache
yum install httpd -y

# Allow HTTP traffic (port 80)
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=80/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

# Start and enable Apache
systemctl start httpd
systemctl enable httpd

# Verify Apache status
systemctl status httpd

Test Apache Installation

Visit your server’s public IP in a browser:


plaintext
http://your-server-ip

If Apache is running correctly, you should see the default CentOS Apache welcome page.

Note:

Port 80 is the default port for HTTP traffic. Opening it allows web browsers to access your website.

Installing PHP 7.4

PHP is required for dynamic content and server-side scripting.


bash
# Install necessary repositories
yum install epel-release yum-utils -y

# Enable Remi repository for PHP 7.4
yum install -y http://rpms.remirepo.net/enterprise/remi-release-7.rpm
yum-config-manager --enable remi-php74

# Install PHP and extensions
yum install php php-common php-opcache php-cli php-gd php-curl php-mysql -y

# Verify PHP installation
php -v

Test PHP with Apache

Create a test PHP file:


bash
nano /var/www/html/info.php

Add the following code:


php
<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Save the file and restart Apache:


bash
systemctl restart httpd

Open a browser and visit:


plaintext
http://your-server-ip/info.php

You should see the PHP info page.

Installing MySQL (MariaDB)

MySQL is essential for database-driven applications.


bash
# Install MariaDB Server
yum install mariadb-server mariadb -y

# Start and enable MariaDB
systemctl start mariadb
systemctl enable mariadb

# Secure MySQL Installation
mysql_secure_installation

Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your root password and secure MySQL.

Note:

MySQL (MariaDB) is the database management system used to store and manage your website’s data.

Installing phpMyAdmin

phpMyAdmin provides a web-based interface for managing MySQL databases.


bash
# Install phpMyAdmin
yum install phpmyadmin -y

# Restart Apache
systemctl restart httpd

Access phpMyAdmin

Visit:


plaintext
http://your-server-ip/phpmyadmin

If you get a forbidden access error, edit the configuration file:


bash
nano /etc/httpd/conf.d/phpMyAdmin.conf

Find the <RequireAny> section and add:


plaintext
Require all granted

Then restart Apache:


bash
systemctl restart httpd

Setting Up Virtual Hosts

A virtual host allows you to host multiple websites on a single server.


bash
# Create necessary directories
mkdir -p /etc/httpd/sites-available /etc/httpd/sites-enabled

# Add virtual host configuration to Apache
nano /etc/httpd/conf/httpd.conf

At the end of the file, add:

IncludeOptional sites-enabled/*.conf

Save and close the file.

Creating a New Virtual Host


bash
nano /etc/httpd/sites-available/example.com.conf

Add the following content:


conf
<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName example.com
    ServerAlias www.example.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/example.com/public_html
    ErrorLog /var/www/example.com/log/error.log
    CustomLog /var/www/example.com/log/requests.log combined
</VirtualHost>

Save the file and create a symbolic link:


bash
ln -s /etc/httpd/sites-available/example.com.conf /etc/httpd/sites-enabled/example.com.conf

# Check configuration syntax
httpd -t

# Restart Apache
systemctl restart httpd

Your server is now ready for hosting websites and applications.

Note:

Always keep your system updated with security patches.
Consider using SSL/TLS (port 443) for secure HTTPS connections.
Use fail2ban or iptables to protect against brute-force attacks.