Core Module

Example Configuration

user www www;
worker_processes 2;

error_log /var/log/nginx-error.log info;

events {
    use kqueue;
    worker_connections 2048;
}

...

Directives

syntax: daemon on | off
default: daemon on
context: main

Determines whether nginx should become a daemon. Mainly used during development.

syntax: env VAR[=VALUE]
default: env TZ
context: main

Allows to limit a set of environment variables, change their values, or create new environment variables, for the following cases:

variable inheritance during a live upgrade of an executable file;
use of variables by the module ngx_http_perl_module;
use of variables by worker processes. Please bear in mind that controlling system libraries in this way is not always possible as it is not uncommon for libraries to check variables only during initialization, well before they can be set using this directive. An exception from this is an above mentioned live upgrade of an executable file.

The TZ variable is always inherited and made available to the module ngx_http_perl_module, unless configured explicitly.

Usage example:

env MALLOC_OPTIONS;
env PERL5LIB=/data/site/modules;
env OPENSSL_ALLOW_PROXY_CERTS=1;

syntax: include file | mask
default: none
context: any

Includes another file, or files matching the specified mask, into configuration. Included files should consist of syntactically correct directives and blocks.

Usage example:

include mime.types;
include vhosts/*.conf;

syntax: master_process on | off
default: master_process on
context: main

Determines whether worker processes are started. This directive is intended for nginx developers.

syntax: pid file
default: pid nginx.pid
context: main

Defines a file which will store the process ID of the main process.

syntax: ssl_engine device
default: none
context: main

Defines the name of the hardware SSL accelerator.

syntax: user user [group]
default: user nobody nobody
context: main

Defines user and group credentials used by worker processes. If group is omitted, a group whose name equals that of user is used.

syntax: timer_resolution interval
default: none
context: main

Reduces timer resolution in worker processes, thus reducing the number of gettimeofday() system calls made. By default, gettimeofday() is called each time on receiving a kernel event. With reduced resolution, gettimeofday() is only called once per specified interval.

Example:

timer_resolution 100ms;

An internal implementation of interval depends on the method used:

an EVFILT_TIMER filter if kqueue is used;
timer_create() if eventport is used;
setitimer() otherwise.

syntax: worker_rlimit_core size
default: none
context: main

Changes the limit on the largest size of a core file (RLIMIT_CORE) for worker processes. Used to increase the limit without restarting the main process.

syntax: worker_rlimit_nofile number
default: none
context: main

Changes the limit on the maximum number of open files (RLIMIT_NOFILE) for worker processes. Used to increase the limit without restarting the main process.

syntax: worker_priority number
default: worker_priority 0
context: main

Defines a scheduling priority for worker processes like is done by the nice: a negative number means higher priority. Allowed range normally varies from -20 to 20.

Example:

worker_priority -10;

syntax: worker_processes number
default: worker_processes 1
context: main

Defines the number of worker processes.

syntax: working_directory directory
default: none
context: main

Defines a current working directory for a worker process. It is primarily used when writing a core-file, in which case a working process should have write permission for the specified directory.