{"id":3299,"date":"2021-05-29T23:32:23","date_gmt":"2021-05-29T23:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/?p=3299"},"modified":"2022-04-24T20:16:46","modified_gmt":"2022-04-24T20:16:46","slug":"web-presence-step-by-step-chapter-17-using-subdomains-to-host-multiple-websites-under-a-single-domain-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/2021\/05\/29\/web-presence-step-by-step-chapter-17-using-subdomains-to-host-multiple-websites-under-a-single-domain-name\/","title":{"rendered":"Web presence step by step Chapter 17: Using subdomains to host multiple websites under a single domain name"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Previous step Chapter 16: Using a script to automate the creation of a virtual host on an Apache web server<\/a>
Next step: Chapter 18: Installing VirtualBox on a computer running Windows to host Linux as a virtual machine (VM) guest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Web presence step by step is a series of posts that show you to how to build a web presence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we learn how to declare multiple subdomain names under a single domain name for use as virtual host names, for multiple separate websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding virtual hosts and their relation to domain and subdomain names<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

A shared LAMP web server can host multiple websites, or \u201cvirtual hosts,\u201d named after domain and subdomain names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may wish to host a web-based application like MyBB or Nextcloud as its own website, rather than as a subdirectory of an existing website, without purchasing an additional domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Multiple subdomains can be hosted on the same web server, or on different web servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bare domain and the www subdomain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A virtual host can be identified by a \u201cbare\u201d domain name like \u201cwebpresencestepbystep.com,\u201d or by a subdomain name, like \u201cwww.webpresencestepbystep.com\u201d — by convention, the www subdomain prefix points to the same content as the \u201cbare\u201d domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional subdomains like \u201ccommunity\u201d and \u201cmedia\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Additional subdomain names can be declared like \u201ccommunity.webpresencestepbystep.com\u201d and \u201cmedia.webpresencestepbystep.com\u201d \u2013 these subdomains can point to separate websites on the same web server, or on different web servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding domain and subdomain names and their relation to Domain Name System (DNS) zone files<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

As we can see in the DNS zone for the domain, the host names “@” (“bare domain”) and “community” are A declarations associated with the IP address of web server A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The host name “www” is a CNAME declaration associated with the host name “@” so implicitly is associated with the IP address of web server A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The host name “media” is an A declaration associated with the IP address of web server B.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

2 websites on web server A, 1 website on web server B, all as subdomains of a single domain name<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By using multiple subdomains of the same domain name, 3 separate websites can be declared, with 2 websites hosted on web server A, and 1 website hosted on web server B, without the need to purchase additional domain names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bare domain and subdomain www on web server A<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

webpresencestepbystep.com and www.webpresencestepbystep.com on web server A<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A note about www and CNAME<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

the subdomain \u201cwww\u201d host name is a canononical name (\u201cCNAME\u201d) of the @ host name, which identifies the \u201cbare\u201d domain. This means that www.webpresencestepbystep.com will resolve to the same IP address as webpresencestepbystep.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual host profiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/webpresencestepbystep.com.conf:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

# generated 2021\/05\/18 19:42:53 EDT by addvhost.php\n<VirtualHost *:80>\n<IfModule mpm_itk_module>\nAssignUserID webpresencestepbystep_com webpresencestepbystep_com\n<\/IfModule>\nServerName webpresencestepbystep.com\nServerAlias www.webpresencestepbystep.com\nDocumentRoot \/usr\/web\/webpresencestepbystep_com\/webpresencestepbystep.com\nServerAdmin info@yourdomain.com\nCustomLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/webpresencestepbystep.com-access_log combined\nErrorLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/webpresencestepbystep.com-error_log\nRewriteEngine on\nRewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =webpresencestepbystep.com [OR]\nRewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =www.webpresencestepbystep.com\nRewriteRule ^ https:\/\/%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]\n<\/VirtualHost><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/webpresencestepbystep.com-le-ssl.conf:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<IfModule mod_ssl.c>\n<VirtualHost *:443>\n<IfModule mpm_itk_module>\nAssignUserID webpresencestepbystep_com webpresencestepbystep_com <\/IfModule>\nServerName webpresencestepbystep.com\nServerAlias www.webpresencestepbystep.com\nDocumentRoot \/usr\/web\/webpresencestepbystep_com\/webpresencestepbystep.com ServerAdmin info@yourdomain.com CustomLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/webpresencestepbystep.com-access_log combined ErrorLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/webpresencestepbystep.com-error_log Include \/etc\/letsencrypt\/options-ssl-apache.conf SSLCertificateFile \/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/linuxstepbystep.com\/fullchain.pem SSLCertificateKeyFile \/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/linuxstepbystep.com\/privkey.pem\n<\/VirtualHost>\n<\/IfModule> <\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Subdomain community on web server A<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
community.webpresencestepbystep.com on the same IP address, on web server A<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Virtual host profiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com.conf:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
# generated 2021\/05\/29 12:45:14 EDT by addvhost.php
<VirtualHost *:80>
<IfModule mpm_itk_module>
AssignUserID community_webpresencestepbystep_ community_webpresencestepbystep_
<\/IfModule>
ServerName community.webpresencestepbystep.com
DocumentRoot \/usr\/web\/community_webpresencestepbystep_\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com
ServerAdmin info@yourdomain.com
CustomLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com-access_log combined
ErrorLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com-error_log
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =community.webpresencestepbystep.com
RewriteRule ^ https:\/\/%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
<\/VirtualHost><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com-le-ssl.conf<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<IfModule mod_ssl.c>
<VirtualHost *:443>
<IfModule mpm_itk_module>
AssignUserID community_webpresencestepbystep_ community_webpresencestepbystep_
<\/IfModule>
ServerName community.webpresencestepbystep.com
DocumentRoot \/usr\/web\/community_webpresencestepbystep_\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com
ServerAdmin info@yourdomain.com
CustomLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com-access_log combined
ErrorLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/community.webpresencestepbystep.com-error_log
SSLCertificateFile \/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/linuxstepbystep.com\/fullchain.pem
SSLCertificateKeyFile \/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/linuxstepbystep.com\/privkey.pem
Include \/etc\/letsencrypt\/options-ssl-apache.conf
<\/VirtualHost>
<\/IfModule><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Subdomain media on web server B<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
media.webpresencestepbystep.com on a different IP address, on web server B<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Virtual host profiles<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com.conf:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
# generated 2021\/05\/29 17:12:33 UTC by addvhost.php
<VirtualHost *:80>
<IfModule mpm_itk_module>
AssignUserID media_webpresencestepbystep_com media_webpresencestepbystep_com
<\/IfModule>
ServerName media.webpresencestepbystep.com
DocumentRoot \/usr\/web\/media_webpresencestepbystep_com\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com
ServerAdmin info@yourdomain.com
CustomLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com-access_log combined
ErrorLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com-error_log
RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{SERVER_NAME} =media.webpresencestepbystep.com
RewriteRule ^ https:\/\/%{SERVER_NAME}%{REQUEST_URI} [END,NE,R=permanent]
<\/VirtualHost><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
\/etc\/apache2\/sites-available\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com-le-ssl.conf<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<IfModule mod_ssl.c>
<VirtualHost *:443>
<IfModule mpm_itk_module>
AssignUserID media_webpresencestepbystep_com media_webpresencestepbystep_com
<\/IfModule>
ServerName media.webpresencestepbystep.com
DocumentRoot \/usr\/web\/media_webpresencestepbystep_com\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com
ServerAdmin info@yourdomain.com
CustomLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com-access_log combined
ErrorLog \/var\/log\/apache2\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com-error_log
SSLCertificateFile \/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com\/fullchain.pem
SSLCertificateKeyFile \/etc\/letsencrypt\/live\/media.webpresencestepbystep.com\/privkey.pem
Include \/etc\/letsencrypt\/options-ssl-apache.conf
<\/VirtualHost>
<\/IfModule><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
Website<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Previous step Chapter 16: Using a script to automate the creation of a virtual host on an Apache web server<\/a>
Next step: Chapter 18: Installing VirtualBox on a computer running Windows to host Linux as a virtual machine (VM) guest<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Previous step Chapter 16: Using a script to automate the creation of a virtual host on an Apache web serverNext step: Chapter 18: Installing VirtualBox on a computer running Windows to host Linux as a virtual machine (VM) guest Web presence step by step is a series of posts that show you to how to … <\/p>\n
Continue reading “Web presence step by step Chapter 17: Using subdomains to host multiple websites under a single domain name”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3299","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-linux"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3299","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3299"}],"version-history":[{"count":65,"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3299\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3700,"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3299\/revisions\/3700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.gordonbuchan.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}