Create Virtual Host for Nginx on Ubuntu (For Yii2 Basic & Advanced Templates)

When working on multiple Yii2 projects, setting up Nginx virtual hosts helps manage different projects efficiently. Below, we will configure virtual hosts for both Basic and Advanced Yii2 templates.

1. Install Nginx and PHP (If Not Installed)

Ensure Nginx and PHP are installed on your Ubuntu system. If not, install them using:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx php-fpm php-mysql

Verify the installation:

nginx -v
php -v

2. Configure Virtual Host for Yii2 Basic Template

Assume our project is located at:

/var/www/dynamic-duniya-basic

Step 1: Create an Nginx Configuration File

Create a new configuration file for the Yii2 Basic template:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/dynamic-duniya-basic

Add the following content:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yii2basic.local;
    root /var/www/dynamic-duniya-basic/web;

    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

Step 2: Enable the Virtual Host

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/dynamic-duniya-basic /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Step 3: Restart Nginx

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 4: Update /etc/hosts File

Edit your hosts file:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add:

127.0.0.1 yii2basic.local

Now, visit http://yii2basic.local in your browser.

3. Configure Virtual Host for Yii2 Advanced Template

Assume our Advanced Template is located at:

/var/www/dynamic-duniya-advanced

Step 1: Create an Nginx Configuration File

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/dynamic-duniya-advanced

Add the following content:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yii2frontend.local;
    root /var/www/dynamic-duniya-advanced/frontend/web;

    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yii2backend.local;
    root /var/www/dynamic-duniya-advanced/backend/web;

    index index.php index.html;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$args;
    }

    location ~ \.php$ {
        include snippets/fastcgi-php.conf;
        fastcgi_pass unix:/run/php/php8.1-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }

    location ~ /\.ht {
        deny all;
    }
}

Step 2: Enable the Virtual Host

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/dynamic-duniya-advanced /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Step 3: Restart Nginx

sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 4: Update /etc/hosts File

Edit your hosts file:

sudo nano /etc/hosts

Add:

127.0.0.1 yii2frontend.local
127.0.0.1 yii2backend.local

Now, you can access your Yii2 Advanced application at:

• Frontend: http://yii2frontend.local
• Backend: http://yii2backend.local