Documentation: Build & Install Nginx Dynamic Module (headers-more-nginx-module)

This document covers building and installing the headers-more-nginx-module for an existing Nginx installation. The module allows hiding/removing Nginx headers (e.g., Server) for better security and compliance.

Note : This guide is tailored for Amazon Linux 2023 (amz2023) but can be adapted for other distributions with minor changes.

Step 1: Install Development Tools

sudo yum groupinstall "Development Tools" -y
sudo yum install pcre pcre-devel zlib zlib-devel openssl openssl-devel wget gcc make -y

Installs all the required compilers, libraries, and tools to build Nginx modules from source.
Dependencies include PCRE, zlib, and OpenSSL.

Step 2: Get Current Nginx Version

nginx -v
NGINX_VERSION=$(nginx -v 2>&1 | awk -F/ '{print $2}')
echo "Detected Nginx version: $NGINX_VERSION"

Detects the installed Nginx version.
Stores it in a variable (NGINX_VERSION) for downloading the exact source.

Step 3: Download Nginx Source Code

cd /usr/local/src
wget http://nginx.org/download/nginx-$NGINX_VERSION.tar.gz
tar -xvzf nginx-$NGINX_VERSION.tar.gz
cd nginx-$NGINX_VERSION

Downloads the exact source code of your Nginx version.
Extracts it and navigates inside the source directory.

⚠️ Important: To build dynamic modules, the source version must match the installed Nginx version.

Step 4: Download `headers-more-nginx-module`

git clone https://github.com/openresty/headers-more-nginx-module.git

Clones the headers-more-nginx-module from OpenResty’s official repo.
This module allows clearing or modifying response headers.

Step 5: Configure Nginx with the Module

./configure --with-compat --add-dynamic-module=./headers-more-nginx-module

Prepares the Nginx build system with dynamic module support.
--with-compat ensures compatibility with your installed Nginx.
--add-dynamic-module includes the headers-more module in the build process.

Step 6: Build the Module

make modules
ls -la objs/ngx_http_headers_more_filter_module.so

Compiles only the module (not the full Nginx binary).
The compiled .so module will appear inside objs/.

Step 7: Install the Module

sudo mv objs/ngx_http_headers_more_filter_module.so /usr/share/nginx/modules/

Moves the built module into Nginx’s modules directory (/usr/share/nginx/modules/).
This is the location from which Nginx loads dynamic modules.

Step 8: Configure Nginx to Load the Module

nano /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

Inside the nginx.conf, add:

load_module modules/ngx_http_headers_more_filter_module.so;
 
http {
    server_tokens off;              # Hides Nginx version info
    more_clear_headers Server;      # Removes the 'Server' header entirely
}

load_module tells Nginx to use the newly built module.
server_tokens off hides version info in error pages.
more_clear_headers Server strips the Server header for security hardening.

Step 9: Validate & Restart Nginx

nginx -t
systemctl restart nginx

Tests the new configuration for syntax errors.
Restarts Nginx to apply changes.

Key Notes

Always build the module against the same version of Nginx installed.
If Nginx is upgraded, you must recompile this module.
The module works only in dynamic mode (.so), so Nginx itself does not need to be rebuilt.

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