Deploy NGINX on Arm
Introduction
Install Nginx using a package manager and check the build configuration
Build Nginx from source
Setup a static file server
Setup a reverse proxy and API gateway
Next Steps

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About this Learning Path

Skill level:  Introductory
Reading time:  1 hr
Last updated:  02 Oct 2026
Skill level:
  Introductory
Reading time:
  1 hr
Last updated:
  02 Oct 2026
Author:Julio Suarez, Arm
Arm IP:Neoverse
Tags: Web AWS Graviton Microsoft Azure Cobalt Google Axion Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Ampere Compute Linux NGINX
Author:
  • Julio Suarez, Arm
Arm IP:
Neoverse
Tags:
Web AWS Graviton Microsoft Azure Cobalt Google Axion Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Ampere Compute Linux NGINX

Who is this for?

This is an introductory topic for engineers who want to use NGINX on Arm.

What will you learn?

Upon completion of this Learning Path, you will be able to:

  • Install and run NGINX on Arm servers.
  • Set up NGINX as a web server, reverse proxy, or an API Gateway.
  • Verify NGINX is working correctly.

Prerequisites

Before starting, you will need the following:

  • At least one Arm based instance from a cloud service provider, or one on-premises Arm server, to create a file server
  • At least three Arm based instances from a cloud service provider, or at least three on-premises Arm servers, to create a reverse proxy or API gateway
  • Network settings (firewalls and security groups) which allow communication on port 22 (SSH) and port 443 (HTTPS)

Summary

AI-assisted

This summary was drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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You’ll deploy NGINX on Arm-based Linux servers and progress from a package installation to a working web-service configuration. First, you’ll install NGINX from a package and inspect the packaged build options that you can use to compile NGINX from source when you need a custom build. You’ll then configure an HTTPS static file server, create its key and certificate, and verify file delivery. Finally, you’ll configure a third node as a reverse proxy and API gateway for two upstream servers.

Frequently asked questions

AI-assisted

These FAQs were drafted with an approved AI-assisted workflow and reviewed by Arm contributors before publication. Human technical review remains part of the process so the final page reflects engineering rigor, accuracy, and Arm editorial standards.

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How do I know which NGINX features are enabled in the packaged install?
Run nginx -V to inspect your packaged build. You can see the NGINX and OpenSSL versions, compiler flags, module options, and configured paths in the output.
Do I need to build NGINX from source?
You can install NGINX with a package manager. If you choose a source build, use the packaged build options as a starting point and enable the features you need.
What do I need before setting up the reverse proxy and API gateway?
Set up two file servers and prepare a third node for the reverse proxy and API gateway. Ensure network settings allow communication on ports 22 (SSH) and 443 (HTTPS).
How do I verify that the static HTTPS file server is working?
Run wget --no-check-certificate https://localhost/file.txt on your server, then wget --no-check-certificate https://<ip_or_dns>/file.txt from another node. You can also check the index page with curl -k https://<ip_or_dns>/index.html.
How do I verify the setup of the reverse proxy and API gateway?
Retrieve file.txt through the reverse proxy and apigw_file.txt through /api_old/apigw_file.txt. Your API gateway rewrites /api_old/ to /api_new/ before forwarding the request upstream. Verify retrieval with wget commands on the proxy node and another node that isn’t the proxy.
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