The Perfect NGINX Server - RHEL 10 Edition

Name: The Perfect NGINX Server - RHEL 10 Edition
Rating: 4.9 (15 reviews)

Build, Harden and Optimize a WordPress Hosting VPS with NGINX, PHP 8.4, and MariaDB on any RHEL 10-Based Distro

Created byAndrew Eaton

Last updated 10/2025

English

What you'll learn

Install and configure RHEL 10, CentOS Stream 10, Rocky 10, and AlmaLinux 10 for WordPress hosting.
Set up and optimize the LEMP stack (NGINX, MariaDB, PHP-FPM) for maximum performance.
Secure your server with firewalls, Fail2ban, SELinux, and advanced hardening techniques.
Implement SSL/HTTPS, rate limiting, and NGINX directives to protect WordPress from attacks.
Harden WordPress using PHP-FPM pools, OpenBaseDir restrictions, and file permissions.
Apply caching strategies including FastCGI, WP Super Cache, W3TC, and Memcached for faster page loads.
Perform PHP-FPM tuning and server load testing for high-traffic sites.
Host multiple domains and subdomains securely with isolated environments.
Optimize WordPress for speed, security, and scalability on production-ready RHEL 10 servers.

Course content

21 sections • 132 lectures • 23h 5m total length

Introduction14:20
Get started with a clear roadmap to mastering RHEL 10. In this section, you’ll discover what this course covers, how it’s structured, and how you’ll progress from your first login to running a fully secured and optimized web server environment.
Introduction15:14
Get started with a clear roadmap to mastering RHEL 10. In this section, you’ll discover what this course covers, how it’s structured, and how you’ll progress from your first login to running a fully secured and optimized web server environment.

Server Distros Web Hosts and Creating a Server Instance15:43
Not all servers and hosts are created equal. In this section, you’ll uncover the differences between major Linux distributions, explore popular hosting environments, and learn how to choose the best setup for your goals and budget.
Server Distros Web Hosts and Creating a Server Instance14:44
Not all servers and hosts are created equal. In this section, you’ll uncover the differences between major Linux distributions, explore popular hosting environments, and learn how to choose the best setup for your goals and budget.
Server Distros Web Hosts and Creating a Server Instance16:09
Not all servers and hosts are created equal. In this section, you’ll uncover the differences between major Linux distributions, explore popular hosting environments, and learn how to choose the best setup for your goals and budget.

Initial Server Hardening as the ROOT (administrative) User - Part 113:33
Take control of your new RHEL 10 server like a pro. You’ll perform your first root login, explore the command line, and apply key configurations that set the tone for a secure and stable system.
Initial Server Hardening as the ROOT (administrative) User - Part 214:29
Take control of your new RHEL 10 server like a pro. You’ll perform your first root login, explore the command line, and apply key configurations that set the tone for a secure and stable system.

Introduction and using sudo2:47
Security starts with smart user management. You’ll learn how to operate as a non-root user using sudo privileges, set up SSH key authentication, apply updates, and secure your server with firewalls and Fail2ban, thereby protecting your server from day one.
SSH Key Authentication16:57
Security starts with smart user management. You’ll learn how to operate as a non-root user using sudo privileges, set up SSH key authentication, apply updates, and secure your server with firewalls and Fail2ban, thereby protecting your server from day one.
Server Updates9:15
Security starts with smart user management. You’ll learn how to operate as a non-root user using sudo privileges, set up SSH key authentication, apply updates, and secure your server with firewalls and Fail2ban, thereby protecting your server from day one.
Configuring the Firewall - Part 110:20
Security starts with smart user management. You’ll learn how to operate as a non-root user using sudo privileges, set up SSH key authentication, apply updates, and secure your server with firewalls and Fail2ban, thereby protecting your server from day one.
Configuring the Firewall - Part 217:28
Security starts with smart user management. You’ll learn how to operate as a non-root user using sudo privileges, set up SSH key authentication, apply updates, and secure your server with firewalls and Fail2ban, thereby protecting your server from day one.
Stop SSH Brute Force Attacks with Fail2ban17:21
Security starts with smart user management. You’ll learn how to operate as a non-root user using sudo privileges, set up SSH key authentication, apply updates, and secure your server with firewalls and Fail2ban, thereby protecting your server from day one.

Introduction and SWAP19:20
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
IPv63:32
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
Shared Memory2:22
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
Harden and Optimize the Network Layer12:44
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
Tuned2:03
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
Congestion Control1:55
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
File Access Times3:55
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.
Open File Limits7:55
Turn your default RHEL 10 installation into a hardened, high-performance server. You’ll learn how to disable unnecessary components, optimize swap and network performance, secure shared memory, fine-tune file limits, and apply proven hardening techniques used by professionals.

Introduction4:25
Build your web hosting foundation the right way.
You’ll install and configure NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP - the powerful LEMP stack - to serve fast, secure, and dynamic websites with precision and reliability.
The Web Server - NGINX12:45
Build your web hosting foundation the right way.
You’ll install and configure NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP - the powerful LEMP stack - to serve fast, secure, and dynamic websites with precision and reliability.
The Database Management System - MariaDB2:30
Build your web hosting foundation the right way.
You’ll install and configure NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP - the powerful LEMP stack - to serve fast, secure, and dynamic websites with precision and reliability.
The Scripting Language - PHP - Part 111:54
Build your web hosting foundation the right way.
You’ll install and configure NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP - the powerful LEMP stack - to serve fast, secure, and dynamic websites with precision and reliability.
The Scripting Language - PHP - Part 27:58
Build your web hosting foundation the right way.
You’ll install and configure NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP - the powerful LEMP stack - to serve fast, secure, and dynamic websites with precision and reliability.
Working with CONF (configuration) Files13:04
Build your web hosting foundation the right way.
You’ll install and configure NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP - the powerful LEMP stack - to serve fast, secure, and dynamic websites with precision and reliability.

Server Mail using Postfix - Part 112:19
Enable your server to send mail securely and efficiently using Postfix. You’ll configure Postfix to handle outgoing email for WordPress mails, contact forms and notifications. Importantly, the mail will get delivered.
Server Mail using Postfix - Part 215:45
Enable your server to send mail securely and efficiently using Postfix. You’ll configure Postfix to handle outgoing email for WordPress mails, contact forms and notifications. Importantly, the mail will get delivered.

Harden & Optimize NGINX - Part 111:51
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden & Optimize NGINX - Part212:17
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden & Optimize NGINX - Part 35:16
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Bash Aliases7:04
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden and Optimize MariaDB - Part 19:46
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden and Optimize MariaDB - Part 212:14
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden and Optimize MariaDB - Part 314:13
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden and Optimize PHP - Part 114:50
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.
Harden and Optimize PHP - Part 216:16
In this section, you’ll take performance and security to the next level. Learn how to harden NGINX, MariaDB, and PHP, apply tuning adjustments for maximum efficiency, and create time-saving bash aliases to streamline server administration.

Requirements

A VPS with RHEL 10, CentOS Stream 10, Rocky 10 or AlmaLinux 10
Basic server administration experience is recommended. If you’re completely new to Linux server management, it’s best to start with The Perfect NGINX Server – Ubuntu Edition to build a solid foundation before tackling RHEL-based systems.
Some familiarity with the Linux command line will help, but all key commands and configuration steps are clearly explained throughout the course.
A willingness to learn through practical examples and hands-on testing — this course focuses on real-world configuration and problem-solving, not just theory.

Description

Take full control of your RHEL 10 server and learn how to host WordPress like a true professional. This hands-on, step-by-step course shows you how to install and configure NGINX, PHP-FPM and MariaDB the right way, while applying powerful security and optimization techniques used in real-world production environments.

You’ll start with a clean RHEL 10 server and transform it into a fast, secure and hardened hosting platform capable of supporting multiple WordPress sites with ease. Each lesson builds on the last, from mastering the package manager and permissions to creating isolated PHP pools and enforcing open_basedir restrictions for complete site separation.

You’ll also learn why installing WordPress correctly on a VPS or dedicated server is so important. Many sites fail or get hacked because they were never set up properly in the first place. By understanding what happens under the hood, you’ll be able to build stable, scalable WordPress installations that perform reliably and securely under real-world traffic.

Server-side hardening and optimization is another major focus of this course. Instead of relying on plugins, you’ll implement true system-level improvements, locking down PHP, optimizing NGINX, securing file access and tuning performance at the server layer for unmatched speed and safety.

A highlight of this training is learning how to work with SELinux instead of disabling it. You’ll discover how to configure SELinux correctly so it enforces powerful access controls between WordPress sites and system processes, ensuring maximum protection without breaking functionality.

As you progress, you’ll set up FastCGI, WP Super Cache and Memcached for advanced caching, fine-tune PHP-FPM for heavy traffic, integrate Cloudflare for global performance and even perform real-world load tests to measure and troubleshoot performance.

By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence and skill to host, secure and optimize WordPress on RHEL 10, CentOS Stream 10, Rocky 10, or AlmaLinux 10 with the same precision and control as a seasoned system administrator.

Who this course is for:

Beginners who want to learn Linux server administration from scratch.
Web developers or WordPress site owners who want to self-host with full control.
Sysadmins looking to master RHEL 10 server security, optimization, and hosting best practices.
Anyone who wants to build fast, secure, and scalable WordPress servers for multiple sites.
Professionals interested in real-world server hardening, caching, and performance tuning techniques

The Perfect NGINX Server - RHEL 10 Edition

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction2 lectures • 30min

Software1 lecture • 8min

Server Distros Web Hosts and Creating a Server Instance3 lectures • 47min

First Login as Root2 lectures • 28min

First Login as the Non ROOT User6 lectures • 1hr 14min

Harden and Optimize the Server Distribution8 lectures • 54min

DNS1 lecture • 5min

Installing the Hosting (LEMP) Stack6 lectures • 53min

Configure your server to Send Mail using Postfix2 lectures • 28min

Harden and Optimize the Hosting Stack9 lectures • 1hr 44min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: