How to Install Nginx Google PageSpeed Module on Ubuntu 22.04

In this article, we will guide you through the process of installing the Nginx Google PageSpeed Module on Ubuntu 22.04. The Nginx Google PageSpeed Module is a powerful tool that can significantly improve the performance and speed of your website. By optimizing various elements of your web pages, such as images, CSS, and JavaScript files, the PageSpeed Module helps to ensure a better user experience and higher search engine rankings. Follow the step-by-step instructions below to integrate this module into your Nginx server.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation, ensure that you have the following:

1. Ubuntu 22.04 installed on your server.
2. Root access or sudo privileges.

Step 1: Update System Packages

Before we begin, it is crucial to update the system packages to their latest versions. Open a terminal window and execute the following command:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Nginx

If you haven’t already installed Nginx on your Ubuntu 22.04 server, you can do so by running the following command:

sudo apt install nginx

Once the installation is complete, ensure that Nginx is running by executing the following command:

sudo systemctl status nginx

Step 3: Download the Nginx Source Code

To install the Nginx Google PageSpeed Module, we need to download the Nginx source code. Create a new directory to store the source code and navigate to it by running the following commands:

mkdir ~/nginx-src
cd ~/nginx-src

Next, use the wget command to download the latest version of the Nginx source code:

wget http://nginx.org/download/nginx-1.20.1.tar.gz

Step 4: Install Required Dependencies

Before we can compile the Nginx source code with the PageSpeed Module, we need to install some dependencies. Run the following command to install the necessary packages:

sudo apt install build-essential zlib1g-dev libpcre3-dev libssl-dev libxslt1-dev libxml2-dev libgd-dev libgeoip-dev libgoogle-perftools-dev libperl-dev

Step 5: Extract the Nginx Source Code

Extract the downloaded Nginx source code using the following command:

tar -zxvf nginx-1.20.1.tar.gz

Step 6: Download and Compile the PageSpeed Module

To download the PageSpeed Module, use the following command:

wget https://github.com/apache/incubator-pagespeed-ngx/archive/v1.13.35.2-stable.tar.gz

Extract the downloaded PageSpeed Module:

tar -zxvf v1.13.35.2-stable.tar.gz

Navigate to the extracted directory:

cd incubator-pagespeed-ngx-1.13.35.2-stable/

Next, execute the build.sh script to compile the PageSpeed Module:

sudo ./build.sh

Step 7: Configure Nginx with the PageSpeed Module

Now, we need to configure Nginx to include the PageSpeed Module. Go back to the Nginx source code directory:

cd ~/nginx-src/nginx-1.20.1/

Configure Nginx with the PageSpeed Module:

./configure --add-module=../incubator-pagespeed-ngx-1.13.35.2-stable

Step 8: Compile and Install Nginx

Compile the Nginx source code with the PageSpeed Module:

make
sudo make install

Step 9: Start Nginx and Verify Installation

Start Nginx by running the following command:

sudo systemctl start nginx

To ensure that the PageSpeed Module is installed and working correctly, check the Nginx error log:

sudo tail /var/log/nginx/error.log

If the installation was successful, you should see a message indicating that the PageSpeed Module has been initialized.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed the Nginx Google PageSpeed Module on Ubuntu 22.04. By integrating this module into your Nginx server, you can optimize your website’s performance and enhance the user experience. Remember to periodically update both Nginx and the PageSpeed Module to benefit from the latest features and improvements.