Lighttpd is a lightweight web server designed for high-performance environments. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to install Lighttpd with PHP and secure it using a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate on Debian 11.

Step 1: Update Your System

Before starting the installation, ensure your system is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Lighttpd

Install the Lighttpd web server by running the following command:

sudo apt install lighttpd

Step 3: Install PHP and Required Extensions

Next, install PHP and necessary extensions for Lighttpd:

sudo apt install php php-cgi php-mysql

Step 4: Configure Lighttpd to Use PHP

To enable PHP processing in Lighttpd, you need to load the PHP CGI module. Run the following command:

sudo lighttpd-enable-mod fastcgi
sudo lighttpd-enable-mod fastcgi-php

After enabling the modules, restart Lighttpd to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl restart lighttpd

Step 5: Install Certbot for Let's Encrypt SSL

Certbot is a tool to obtain and manage Let's Encrypt SSL certificates. Install Certbot and the Lighttpd plugin:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-lighttpd

Step 6: Obtain an SSL Certificate

Run the following command to obtain a free SSL certificate for your domain:

sudo certbot --lighttpd

Follow the prompts to enter your email address and agree to the terms of service. Certbot will automatically configure Lighttpd to use the new SSL certificate.

Step 7: Verify SSL Configuration

After obtaining the SSL certificate, verify that Lighttpd is serving your site over HTTPS. Open your web browser and navigate to:

https://your_domain

Step 8: Set Up Automatic Certificate Renewal

Let's Encrypt certificates are valid for 90 days, but Certbot can automatically renew them. To set up a cron job for automatic renewal, run:

echo "0 0 * * * root certbot renew --quiet" | sudo tee -a /etc/crontab

Conclusion

You have successfully installed Lighttpd with PHP and secured it with a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate on Debian 11. Your web server is now ready to serve secure content.

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