# Nginx Kit

## Start

```bash
git clone https://git.forge.st/ops/nginx-kit.git /opt/nginx-kit
ln -s /opt/nginx-kit /etc/nginx/kit
```

### Update

```bash
cd /opt/nginx-kit
git pull
nginx -t
systemctl reload nginx
```

## Contexts

This repository is organized by nginx context:

- `http/`: snippets that must be included inside `http {}`.
- `listen/`: listener snippets for `server {}` blocks.
- `fastcgi/`: FastCGI-specific snippets for `location {}` or `server {}` blocks.
- `ssl/`: HTTPS and TLS snippets for `server {}` blocks.
- `proxy_pass/`: reverse proxy snippets for `location {}` blocks.
- `redirect/`: host and canonical URL redirects for `server {}` blocks.
- `templates/`: copy-and-edit starter snippets such as certificates.
- `examples/`: working examples showing how to compose the snippets.

## Common combinations

### HTTPS site

Include these inside a `server {}` block:

```nginx
server {
	# ...
	include kit/listen/http.conf;
	include kit/listen/https-http2.conf;
	include snippets/cert/mydomain.com.conf;
	include kit/security.conf;
	include kit/ssl/security.conf;
	include kit/ssl/hsts.conf;
	include kit/ssl/force.conf;
	# ...
}
```

See [examples/example.com.conf](examples/example.com.conf:1) for the full server-level example.

For widest compatibility, the examples use `listen ... http2` instead of the standalone `http2 on;` directive. The standalone `http2` directive appeared in nginx `1.25.1` on `2023-06-13`, while Ubuntu-packaged nginx `1.24.x` rejects it.

For nginx `1.25.1+`, you can use the modern split form instead:

```nginx
server {
	include kit/listen/http.conf;
	include kit/listen/https.conf;
	include kit/listen/http2.conf;
	# ...
}
```

### Optional `http {}` features

These snippets are independent `http {}`-level features:

```nginx
http {
	include kit/http/gzip.conf;
}
```

Use `kit/http/gzip.conf` when you want nginx to compress common text-based responses. It is not specific to proxying or websocket traffic.

```nginx
http {
	include kit/http/websocket-map.conf;
}
```

Use `kit/http/websocket-map.conf` only when a `location {}` will include `kit/proxy_pass/websocket.conf`.

```nginx
http {
	include kit/http/log-format-upstream.conf;
}
```

Use `kit/http/log-format-upstream.conf` when you want a reusable access log
format with upstream timing fields. It only defines `upstream_timing`; each
server still opts in with its own `access_log` directive.

### Reverse proxy

Plain HTTP reverse proxying only needs the `location {}`-level proxy snippets:

```nginx
server {
	# ...
	include kit/listen/http.conf;
	location / {
		include kit/proxy_pass/forwarded.conf;
		include kit/proxy_pass/timeout-300.conf;
		proxy_pass http://app_backend;
	}
}
```

### Streaming reverse proxy

For SSE, token streaming, or other incremental responses, add the streaming and
long-timeout snippets to the proxied location:

```nginx
http {
	include kit/http/log-format-upstream.conf;

	server {
		include kit/listen/http.conf;
		access_log /var/log/nginx/app.access.log upstream_timing;

		location /events/ {
			include kit/proxy_pass/forwarded.conf;
			include kit/proxy_pass/streaming.conf;
			include kit/proxy_pass/timeout-300.conf;
			proxy_pass http://app_backend;
		}
	}
}
```

Use `kit/proxy_pass/streaming.conf` only for locations that genuinely need
incremental flushing. It intentionally changes buffering behavior and forces
HTTP/1.1 for that location.

### Websocket reverse proxy

Websocket proxying adds one `http {}`-level dependency plus the websocket location snippet:

```nginx
http {
	include kit/http/websocket-map.conf;

	server {
		include kit/listen/http.conf;
		include kit/listen/https-http2.conf;
		location /ws/ {
			include kit/proxy_pass/forwarded.conf;
			include kit/proxy_pass/websocket.conf;
			include kit/proxy_pass/timeout-300.conf;
			proxy_pass http://app_backend;
		}
	}
}
```

See [examples/reverse-proxy.nginx.conf](examples/reverse-proxy.nginx.conf:1) for a complete standalone config.

## Templates

### SSL certs

```bash
cd /etc/nginx
mkdir -p snippets/cert
cp kit/templates/cert/example.com.conf snippets/cert/mydomain.com.conf
vi snippets/cert/mydomain.com.conf
```

Replace the certificate paths with yours, then include the snippet in your `server {}` block:

```nginx
server {
	# ...
	include snippets/cert/mydomain.com.conf;
	include kit/security.conf;
	include kit/ssl/security.conf;
	include kit/ssl/hsts.conf;
	# ...
}
```

## Snippet reference

- `kit/http/gzip.conf`: gzip compression for common text-based responses. Must be included inside `http {}`.
- `kit/http/log-format-upstream.conf`: defines the `upstream_timing` access log format with upstream timing fields. Must be included inside `http {}`.
- `kit/http/websocket-map.conf`: defines `$connection_upgrade` for websocket proxying. Must be included inside `http {}`.
- `kit/listen/http.conf`: IPv4 and IPv6 HTTP listeners for `server {}`.
- `kit/listen/https.conf`: IPv4 and IPv6 HTTPS listeners for `server {}` without enabling HTTP/2.
- `kit/listen/http2.conf`: standalone `http2 on;` snippet for nginx `1.25.1+`.
- `kit/listen/https-http2.conf`: IPv4 and IPv6 HTTPS listeners with HTTP/2 for `server {}`. Uses `listen ... http2` for nginx `1.24.x` compatibility.
- `kit/security.conf`: common low-risk security headers and host normalization. Intended for `server {}`.
- `kit/security-legacy.conf`: optional legacy compatibility headers such as `X-Download-Options` and `X-Permitted-Cross-Domain-Policies`.
- `kit/fastcgi/hide-powered-by.conf`: hides `X-Powered-By` from FastCGI upstream responses.
- `kit/fastcgi/timeout-300.conf`: longer FastCGI timeouts. Intended for `location {}`.
- `kit/ssl/security.conf`: TLS protocol and session resumption settings. Intended for `server {}`.
- `kit/ssl/hsts.conf`: HSTS header for HTTPS responses. Intended for `server {}`.
- `kit/ssl/hsts-preload.conf`: HSTS variant with `preload`. Use only if the whole domain tree is preload-safe.
- `kit/ssl/force.conf`: redirects HTTP requests to HTTPS. Intended for `server {}`.
- `kit/redirect/to-primary-domain.conf`: redirects aliases to the primary `server_name`. Intended for `server {}`.
- `kit/proxy_pass/forwarded.conf`: standard reverse proxy headers. Intended for `location {}`.
- `kit/proxy_pass/hide-powered-by.conf`: hides `X-Powered-By` from proxied upstream responses.
- `kit/proxy_pass/https-upstream.conf`: enables SNI for HTTPS upstreams. Intended for `location {}`.
- `kit/proxy_pass/streaming.conf`: disables proxy buffering for streaming responses and requests. Intended for `location {}`.
- `kit/proxy_pass/websocket.conf`: websocket upgrade headers. Requires `kit/http/websocket-map.conf`.
- `kit/proxy_pass/timeout-300.conf`: longer proxy timeouts. Intended for `location {}`.

## Validation

Run the Docker-based syntax checks from the repo root:

```powershell
./scripts/validate-docker.ps1
```

The script validates:

- [examples/example.com.conf](examples/example.com.conf:1) as a server-level snippet.
- [examples/reverse-proxy.nginx.conf](examples/reverse-proxy.nginx.conf:1) as a complete nginx config.
- The optional logging, streaming, HTTPS-upstream, and timeout snippets via
  synthetic configs assembled in the validation script.

## Notes

- `gzip_proxied` does not remove `ETag` or `Last-Modified` headers. It only controls when nginx may gzip requests that arrived through another proxy.
- `text/html` does not need to appear in `gzip_types`; nginx compresses it automatically.
- Gzip over HTTPS can contribute to BREACH-style risk for responses that reflect attacker-controlled input alongside secrets. Keep that in mind for highly sensitive dynamic pages.
- `kit/security.conf` intentionally does not set `X-Robots-Tag: none` or `X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block`; those are too risky or too obsolete for a default site-wide baseline.
- The standalone `http2 on;` directive appeared in nginx `1.25.1` on `2023-06-13`. For broader compatibility, this repository currently prefers `listen 443 ssl http2;` and `listen [::]:443 ssl http2;`.
- If you are standardizing on nginx `1.25.1+`, prefer `kit/listen/https.conf` plus `kit/listen/http2.conf` to avoid the deprecation warnings on modern nginx.
- Listener snippets are intentionally minimal. Variants such as `default_server`, `proxy_protocol`, or non-HTTP/2 HTTPS should live in separate project-specific snippets to avoid accidental conflicts.