Which Nginx modules should be removed when building a reverse proxy server?

Question

I'll be compiling Nginx. The main purpose is to use it as reverse proxy. Also I would like to have the --with-http_auth_request_module enabled.

Which nginx module should I disable?

Is disabling the following a good idea? Since I won't be using Nginx for mail, FLV and MP4 streaming.

--with-http_mp4_module 
--with-http_flv_module 
--with-mail 
--with-mail_ssl_module 

When I tried to install nginx from repo using dnf install nginx and then I ran nginx -V it shows that --with-http_auth_request_module is in configure arguments.

Does that mean --with-http_auth_request_module is included in the compiled Nginx that I get from the repository?

Answer 1

Unless there is a really good reason to do so, I would not recommend compiling Nginx from source.

It is better to install from a repo and figure out what settings and config values in Nginx you can adjust to tweak performance.

First you state this.

“I'll be compiling Nginx. The main purpose is to use it as reverse proxy. Also I would like to have the --with-http_auth_request_module enabled.”

To me you are overthinking this. In the year 2023 nobody anywhere should be compiling source code for a common tool like Nginx.

My belief is that you are mixing up compiled capabilities with enabled functionality. Meaning…

Just because a binary like Nginx is compiled with support for something doesn’t mean it will be enabled by default.

What do you believe you gain my micro-managing compiled features like this? Lowering resource usage like RAM or performance? Whatever gains you believe you will get by micro-managing this stuff is minimal at best and might not be even measurable. Meaning…

It is far better to install Nginx via whatever package installer your OS uses and then configure it as you wish and don’t think twice about stuff you are not going to use.

Then you ask this:

���Does that mean --with-http_auth_request_module is included in the compiled Nginx that I get from the repository?”

Yes, it is included in the compiled Nginx that you get from the repository. But, as explained above, just because it is compiled with --with-http_auth_request_module support doesn’t mean it is enabled by default. It means it is sitting in there and can be used if you wish.

So in the end, I would not recommend compiling Nginx from source. It is better to install from a repo and figure out what settings and config values in Nginx you can adjust to tweak performance.

I mean, the --with-http_flv_module seems utterly ridiculous in 2023 since Flash support in browsers ended on December 31, 2020. But it is not like if you compile it from source you will somehow lower Nginx resources like RAM usage and improve performance.