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Configuring Nginx and Apache to Redirect Port 80 to 443 with SSL

Introduction​

This guide explains how to configure Nginx and Apache to:

  1. Open ports 80 (HTTP) and 443 (HTTPS).
  2. Redirect all HTTP traffic on port 80 to HTTPS on port 443.
  3. Install and configure an SSL certificate using Let’s Encrypt.
  4. Properly set up the SSL certificate in your web server configuration.

Part 1: Configuring SSL and Redirection in Nginx​

Step 1: Install SSL Certificate with Certbot​

sudo apt update  
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y  
sudo certbot --nginx
  • Follow the prompts to select your domain and enable HTTPS.
  • Certbot will automatically configure SSL and set up redirection from HTTP to HTTPS.
  • If Certbot doesn’t configure redirection, proceed with manual configuration in Step 2.

Step 2: Manual Configuration of Nginx Server Block​

  1. Open your Nginx configuration file:

    sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/yourdomain

  2. Add a server block to handle HTTP requests and redirect them to HTTPS:

    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;
        return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
    }

  3. Ensure your HTTPS server block looks like this:

    server {
        listen 443 ssl;
        server_name yourdomain.com www.yourdomain.com;

        ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem;
        ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/privkey.pem;

        root /var/www/yourdomain;
        index index.html index.htm;

        location / {
            try_files $uri $uri/ =404;
        }

        error_log /var/log/nginx/yourdomain_error.log;
        access_log /var/log/nginx/yourdomain_access.log;
    }

  4. Save and exit, then test the configuration:

    sudo nginx -t

  5. Reload Nginx to apply the changes:

    sudo systemctl reload nginx

Part 2: Configuring SSL and Redirection in Apache​

Step 1: Install SSL Certificate with Certbot​

sudo apt update  
sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y  
sudo certbot --apache
  • Certbot will prompt you to choose whether to enable HTTP to HTTPS redirection.
  • If Certbot doesn’t set up redirection automatically, proceed with manual configuration in Step 2.

Step 2: Manual Configuration of Apache Virtual Host​

  1. Open your Apache virtual host configuration file:

    sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/yourdomain.conf

  2. Add the following configuration for port 80 to redirect HTTP to HTTPS:

    <VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerName yourdomain.com
        ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com
        Redirect permanent / https://yourdomain.com/
    </VirtualHost>

  3. Ensure your HTTPS virtual host configuration looks like this:

    <VirtualHost *:443>
        ServerName yourdomain.com
        ServerAlias www.yourdomain.com

        DocumentRoot /var/www/yourdomain

        SSLEngine on
        SSLCertificateFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/fullchain.pem
        SSLCertificateKeyFile /etc/letsencrypt/live/yourdomain.com/privkey.pem

        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
    </VirtualHost>

  4. Save and exit, then reload Apache:

    sudo systemctl reload apache2

Part 3: Ensure Firewall Allows Ports 80 and 443​

  1. For UFW firewall:

    sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'    # For Nginx
    sudo ufw allow 'Apache Full'   # For Apache
    sudo ufw reload

  2. For iptables:

    sudo iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 80 -j ACCEPT
    sudo iptables -I INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j ACCEPT

Part 4: Testing the Setup​

  1. Open your browser and navigate to http://yourdomain.com.
  2. Ensure it automatically redirects to https://yourdomain.com.
  3. Check the SSL padlock icon in the address bar, confirming the connection is secure.

Part 5: Auto-Renewal of SSL Certificates​

Let’s Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days, so set up auto-renewal using a cron job:

  1. Open the cron editor:

    sudo crontab -e

  2. Add the following line to renew the certificate daily:

    0 3 * * * certbot renew --quiet

  3. Test the auto-renewal process manually:

    sudo certbot renew --dry-run

Conclusion​

By following this tutorial, your website will:

  • Be secured with a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt.
  • Redirect all HTTP traffic on port 80 to HTTPS on port 443.
  • Have automatic SSL certificate renewal set up, ensuring continuous secure access.