Why is My Nginx Cache Not Clearing Despite File Modifications?

Unable to Clear Nginx Cache Despite Modifications

If you encounter an issue where your Nginx front server continues to serve outdated CSS files despite file modifications, you're not alone. Despite restarting Nginx and searching online, a solution may have eluded you.

The recommended solution of deleting the cache directory (e.g., var/cache/nginx) may not be applicable in all cases, as your server may lack such a directory.

Solution:

The issue may stem from the sendfile setting enabled in your nginx.conf file. This setting, designed to optimize file transfer, can malfunction in virtual machine environments like Virtualbox. Disabling sendfile will force Nginx to use an alternative method for serving static files, resolving the caching issue.

This behavior is attributed to a bug (https://www.virtualbox.org/ticket/12597) specific to Virtualbox environments, where Virtualbox faces difficulties with sendfile operations.

To disable sendfile, locate the setting in your nginx.conf file (typically in a location block) and change its value to "off":

sendfile off;

Restart Nginx after making this change, and you should be able to serve the updated CSS files without further issues.

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