How to Compile and Install Nginx with PageSpeed Module on Debian 8

This guide explains how to manually compile and install the Nginx mainline version directly from the official Nginx sources, integrating the PageSpeed module. This module boosts website performance using various filters that optimize HTML, images, CSS, and JavaScript.

Prerequisites

• A server instance running Debian 8.
• An active sudo user account.

Manual Installation Process

System Update

Begin by updating the system packages.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

Install Required Dependencies

Install the necessary software packages for compiling Nginx and PageSpeed.

sudo apt install build-essential ca-certificates zlib1g-dev libpcre3 libpcre3-dev tar unzip libssl-dev

Download and Extract ngx_pagespeed

Set a variable for the latest PageSpeed module version.

NPS_VER=1.13.35.2

Proceed to download and unpack the ngx_pagespeed source code.

cd /opt
wget https://github.com/pagespeed/ngx_pagespeed/archive/v${NPS_VER}-beta.zip
unzip v${NPS_VER}-beta.zip
rm v${NPS_VER}-beta.zip
cd ngx_pagespeed-${NPS_VER}-beta
psol_url=https://dl.google.com/dl/page-speed/psol/${NPS_VERSION}.tar.gz
[ -e scripts/format_binary_url.sh ] && psol_url=$(scripts/format_binary_url.sh PSOL_BINARY_URL)
wget ${psol_url}
tar -xzvf $(basename ${psol_url})
rm ${NPS_VER}-x64.tar.gz

Compiling and Installing Nginx

Define Nginx Version

Set a variable for the current Nginx version.

NGINX_VER=1.9.9

Alternatively, fetch it dynamically from the official Nginx changelog.

NGINX_VER=$(curl -s http://nginx.org/en/CHANGES | awk 'NR==2' | awk '{print $4}')

Download and Prepare Nginx Source

Download and extract the Nginx source files.

cd /opt
wget -qO- http://nginx.org/download/nginx-${NGINX_VER}.tar.gz | tar zxf -

Configure Nginx with PageSpeed Module

Configure Nginx with multiple modules, including ngx_pagespeed, and define build paths.

cd nginx-${NGINX_VER}
./configure \
--prefix=/etc/nginx \
--sbin-path=/usr/sbin/nginx \
--conf-path=/etc/nginx/nginx.conf \
--error-log-path=/var/log/nginx/error.log \
--http-log-path=/var/log/nginx/access.log \
--pid-path=/var/run/nginx.pid \
--lock-path=/var/run/nginx.lock \
--http-client-body-temp-path=/var/cache/nginx/client_temp \
--http-proxy-temp-path=/var/cache/nginx/proxy_temp \
--http-fastcgi-temp-path=/var/cache/nginx/fastcgi_temp \
--user=nginx \
--group=nginx \
--without-http_ssi_module \
--without-http_scgi_module \
--without-http_uwsgi_module \
--without-http_geo_module \
--without-http_map_module \
--without-http_split_clients_module \
--without-http_memcached_module \
--without-http_empty_gif_module \
--without-http_browser_module \
--with-threads \
--with-file-aio \
--with-http_ssl_module \
--with-http_v2_module \
--with-ipv6 \
--with-http_mp4_module \
--with-http_auth_request_module \
--with-http_slice_module \
--add-module=/opt/ngx_pagespeed-release-${NPS_VER}-beta

Compile and Install Nginx

Compile the Nginx source code by executing the following command.

make -j $(nproc)

Proceed with the installation of Nginx.

make install

To confirm that the ngx_pagespeed module has been successfully added to your Nginx installation, run the following command.

/usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -V

Automatic Installation

You can use an automation script that simplifies the installation process, including the addition of the PageSpeed module.

Download the Script

Retrieve the script using wget.

wget --no-check-certificate https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Qoraiche/nginx-including-pagespeed/master/nginx-autoinstall.sh -O nginx-autoinstall.sh

Make the Script Executable

Set the appropriate permissions for the script.

chmod +x nginx-autoinstall.sh

Execute the Script

Run the script to complete the automated installation.

./nginx-autoinstall.sh

At this point, the installation of the Nginx PageSpeed module is successfully completed.

Conclusion

By compiling Nginx manually and integrating the PageSpeed module, you gain full control over your server's performance optimization. Whether you choose the manual method or the automated script, both approaches ensure a powerful and efficient Nginx installation. Your server is now ready to deliver faster content and an improved user experience, thanks to the advanced capabilities of the PageSpeed module.