Translating apache config to nginx

[Grant]

>> But this causes a 403 during normal operation:
>>
>> location ~ ^(?!installer)(\.?[^\.]+)$ {
>>     deny all;
>> }
>>
>> Why is that happening?
>
> What requests do you want to match that location?
>
> What requests actually match that location?
>
> Alternatively: what request do you make? What response do you expect? And
> what is the regex above intended to do?

I actually got these apache deny directives from the roundcube list.
I don't have a more specific idea of what this one is supposed to do
beyond "securing things".  I'm not very good with regex and I was
hoping someone here would see the problem.  Does it make sense that
this would work in apache but not in nginx?

- Grant