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      • Docker Install Web Servers

      This chapter covers how to deploy Nginx, Caddy, and Apache web servers using Docker.

      Nginx

      Quick Start

      docker run -d --name nginx -p 80:80 nginx:latest

      Custom Content

      docker run -d --name nginx -p 80:80 -v $(pwd)/html:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro nginx:latest

      Custom Configuration

      docker run --rm nginx cat /etc/nginx/nginx.conf > nginx.conf

docker run -d --name nginx -p 80:80 \
  -v $(pwd)/nginx.conf:/etc/nginx/nginx.conf:ro \
  -v $(pwd)/conf.d:/etc/nginx/conf.d:ro \
  -v $(pwd)/html:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro \
  nginx:latest

      Reverse Proxy Example

      server {
    listen 80;
    location / {
        proxy_pass http://app:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    }
}

      Reload Configuration

      docker exec nginx nginx -t          # Test config
docker exec nginx nginx -s reload   # Reload without downtime

      Caddy

      Caddy is a modern web server with automatic HTTPS support.

      Quick Start

      docker run -d --name caddy -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
  -v $(pwd)/html:/srv \
  -v caddy-data:/data \
  caddy:latest

      Using Caddyfile

      :80 {
    root * /srv
    file_server
}
      docker run -d --name caddy -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
  -v $(pwd)/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile \
  -v $(pwd)/html:/srv \
  -v caddy-data:/data \
  caddy:latest

      Automatic HTTPS

      Just use a domain name and Caddy automatically obtains SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt:

      example.com {
    root * /srv
    file_server
}

      Reload

      docker exec caddy caddy reload --config /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

      Apache (httpd)

      Quick Start

      docker run -d --name apache -p 80:80 httpd:latest

      Custom Content

      docker run -d --name apache -p 80:80 -v $(pwd)/html:/usr/local/apache2/htdocs/ httpd:latest

      Custom Configuration

      docker run --rm httpd cat /usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf > httpd.conf

docker run -d --name apache -p 80:80 \
  -v $(pwd)/httpd.conf:/usr/local/apache2/conf/httpd.conf \
  -v $(pwd)/html:/usr/local/apache2/htdocs/ \
  httpd:latest

      Web Server Comparison

      FeatureNginxCaddyApache
      PerformanceHighHighMedium
      Config complexityMediumLowHigh
      Auto HTTPSRequires setupBuilt-inRequires setup
      Memory usageLowLowMedium
      Module ecosystemRichModerateVery rich
      Best forReverse proxy, static filesQuick deploy, auto HTTPSTraditional web apps

      Chapter Summary

      Docker simplifies web server deployment. Nginx excels at reverse proxying, Caddy offers automatic HTTPS, and Apache provides the richest module ecosystem.

      Further Reading