Knowledgebase

How to Install Caddy Web Server on AnonVM

Caddy is a modern and powerful web server known for its simplicity and automatic HTTPS configuration. It is especially useful for users who want to quickly deploy secure websites without dealing with complex configurations. Caddy is capable of handling static file serving, reverse proxying, load balancing, and more. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps of installing and configuring Caddy Web Server on your AnonVM server.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure the following are in place:

• AnonVM VPS or Dedicated Server with root or sudo access.
• Operating System: This tutorial is compatible with Ubuntu/Debian or CentOS.
• Domain Name (Optional): If you plan to use SSL/TLS, a domain name is required. You can use Let’s Encrypt for automatic certificate issuance, which is built into Caddy.

Step 1: Update Your System

First, ensure your server's package list is updated and all installed packages are up-to-date.

For Ubuntu/Debian-based systems:

For CentOS-based systems:

Step 2: Install Caddy Web Server

Method 1: Install Caddy Using Package Manager (Recommended)

1. Add the official Caddy repository:

   For Ubuntu/Debian:

    

   curl -fsSL https://get.caddyserver.com | bash -s personal

   For CentOS:

    

   sudo yum install epel-release -y sudo curl -fsSL https://dl.caddyserver.com | bash -s personal

2. Install Caddy:

   For Ubuntu/Debian:

    

   sudo apt install caddy -y

   For CentOS:

    

   sudo yum install caddy -y

3. Verify the installation: You can verify that Caddy is installed by checking its version:

    

   caddy version

Method 2: Install Caddy Manually

1. Download Caddy from the official Caddy website:

    

   wget https://github.com/caddyserver/caddy/releases/download/v2.7.2/caddy_2.7.2_linux_amd64.tar.gz

2. Extract the tar file:

    

   tar -xvzf caddy_2.7.2_linux_amd64.tar.gz

3. Move the Caddy binary to a directory in your PATH:

    

   sudo mv caddy /usr/local/bin/

4. Verify installation:

    

   caddy version

Step 3: Start and Enable Caddy

Caddy is installed, but you need to start it and enable it to automatically run at boot.

1. Start Caddy:

    

   sudo systemctl start caddy

2. Enable Caddy to start at boot:

    

   sudo systemctl enable caddy

3. Check the status of Caddy: Verify if Caddy is running with:

    

   sudo systemctl status caddy

   If it's running correctly, you should see a message indicating that Caddy is active.

Step 4: Configuring Caddy for Your Domain

Caddy has built-in support for automatic HTTPS using Let’s Encrypt. This is a very simple process since Caddy automatically handles SSL certificate management for you.

1. Create a Caddyfile: Caddy uses a configuration file called Caddyfile. This file is located at /etc/caddy/Caddyfile by default.

   If the file doesn't exist, create it:

    

   sudo nano /etc/caddy/Caddyfile

2. Add your domain to the Caddyfile: A basic Caddyfile setup looks like this:

   plaintext

    

   yourdomain.com { root * /var/www/html file_server }

   Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain, and specify the root directory for your website. You can also add a reverse proxy configuration if you're using Caddy to forward traffic to another service.

3. Reload Caddy: After editing the Caddyfile, reload Caddy to apply the changes:

    

   sudo systemctl reload caddy

Step 5: Accessing Your Website

Once Caddy is configured, you can visit your website at http://yourdomain.com or https://yourdomain.com (if you have a valid domain and Caddy automatically configures SSL).

Step 6: Using Caddy as a Reverse Proxy

Caddy can also be used as a reverse proxy to forward requests to other applications running on your server.

1. Update the Caddyfile to include reverse proxy configuration: Here’s an example of how to configure Caddy to proxy traffic to a web application running on localhost at port 3000:

   plaintext

    

   yourdomain.com { reverse_proxy localhost:3000 }

   This configuration forwards all traffic from yourdomain.com to your application on localhost:3000.

2. Reload Caddy: After making changes to the Caddyfile, reload Caddy:

    

   sudo systemctl reload caddy

Step 7: Secure Your Site with HTTPS

Caddy automatically obtains and renews SSL certificates for your domain using Let’s Encrypt. Once you add your domain to the Caddyfile and restart Caddy, SSL will be enabled by default.

You can also verify SSL certificates are working by visiting your website via https://yourdomain.com. If everything is set up correctly, you should see the secure padlock symbol in the browser address bar.

Step 8: Monitor and Manage Caddy

To monitor Caddy or check its logs:

1. Check Caddy status:

    

   sudo systemctl status caddy

2. View logs: Caddy stores logs in /var/log/caddy/. You can check the logs with:

    

   sudo journalctl -u caddy

3. Stop or restart Caddy:

   • To stop Caddy:
      

     sudo systemctl stop caddy
   • To restart Caddy:
      

     sudo systemctl restart caddy

Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed and configured Caddy Web Server on your AnonVM server. With Caddy, you have an easy-to-use web server that automatically handles SSL certificates with Let’s Encrypt and supports a wide range of functionalities such as static file serving, reverse proxying, and load balancing.

By following this tutorial, you’ve set up a secure, fast, and simple web server that can scale to meet your needs, all while minimizing the configuration time and effort required.