https://github.com/developer-sujon/github-actions-101
https://github.com/developer-sujon/github-actions-101
Last synced: 10 months ago
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- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/developer-sujon/github-actions-101
- Owner: developer-sujon
- Created: 2023-08-21T22:16:10.000Z (over 2 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2024-12-17T05:55:42.000Z (about 1 year ago)
- Last Synced: 2025-01-23T11:20:01.527Z (11 months ago)
- Language: TypeScript
- Size: 908 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
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README
# **Automatic Deployment of Node.js Express Server to Self-Hosted Ubuntu VPS**
This guide walks you through automating the deployment of your **Node.js Express server** to a self-hosted Ubuntu Virtual Private Server (VPS) using **GitHub Actions**.
---
### **Prerequisites**
Ensure you have the following ready:
1. A **GitHub account**.
2. A **VPS** running Ubuntu (e.g., AWS EC2, DigitalOcean, Linode, etc.).
3. Your **Node.js Express server** code pushed to a GitHub repository.
4. Basic knowledge of the command-line interface (CLI).
---
## **Step 1: Set Up Your Ubuntu VPS**
1. **Log in to your VPS**:
```bash
ssh username@your-vps-ip
```
2. **Update the system and install necessary tools**:
```bash
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y curl git tar
```
3. **Install Node.js and PM2**:
```bash
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_16.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
sudo npm install -g pm2
```
4. **Optional - Set up a firewall**:
Configure your firewall to allow SSH, HTTP, and your application port (e.g., `3000`):
```bash
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 3000
sudo ufw enable
```
---
## **Step 2: Create a GitHub Repository**
1. Go to [GitHub](https://github.com) and create a new repository.
2. Push your Node.js Express server code to the repository:
```bash
git init
git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo.git
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git branch -M main
git push -u origin main
```
---
## **Step 3: Set Up a Self-Hosted Runner on Your VPS**
1. **Navigate to your GitHub Repository**:
- Go to **Settings > Actions > Runners** and click **Add Runner**.
2. **Install the GitHub Runner**:
Follow the instructions for Linux provided on GitHub, or run:
```bash
cd ~
curl -o actions-runner-linux-x64.tar.gz -L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/latest/download/actions-runner-linux-x64.tar.gz
mkdir actions-runner && tar xzf actions-runner-linux-x64.tar.gz -C actions-runner
cd actions-runner
```
3. **Configure the Runner**:
Replace `REPO_URL` and `YOUR_TOKEN` with your repository URL and the token provided during setup:
```bash
./config.sh --url https://github.com/your-username/your-repo --token YOUR_TOKEN
```
4. **Start the Runner**:
```bash
./run.sh
```
5. **Optional - Run as a Service**:
To ensure the runner starts on boot:
```bash
sudo ./svc.sh install
sudo ./svc.sh start
```
---
## **Step 4: Create the GitHub Workflow**
1. Inside your repository, create the directory `.github/workflows`.
2. Add a new file called `deploy.yml` with the following content:
```yaml
name: Deploy to Self-Hosted VPS
on:
push:
branches:
- main
jobs:
deploy:
name: Deploy to Self-Hosted VPS
runs-on: self-hosted
steps:
# Step 1: Checkout repository
- name: Checkout repository
uses: actions/checkout@v2
# Step 2: Use Node.js
- name: Use Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v2
with:
node-version: '16.x'
# Step 3: Install dependencies
- name: Install dependencies
run: |
npm install --frozen-lockfile
npm install -g pm2
# Step 4: Configure environment variables
- name: Configure environment
run: echo "SERVER_PORT=${{ secrets.SERVER_PORT }}" >> .env
# Step 5: Build application (if applicable)
- name: Build application
run: npm run build
# Step 6: Start the application with PM2
- name: Start application
run: pm2 start npm --name "my-app" -- start
```
---
## **Step 5: Configure GitHub Secrets**
1. Navigate to your repository on GitHub.
2. Go to **Settings > Secrets** and click **New repository secret**.
3. Add the required secrets:
- **`SERVER_PORT`**: The port number your app will run on (e.g., `3000`).
- Add any other environment variables your app requires.
---
## **Step 6: Trigger the Workflow**
1. Push changes to the `main` branch:
```bash
git add .
git commit -m "Deploy to VPS"
git push origin main
```
2. Go to the **Actions** tab in your GitHub repository to monitor the workflow.
---
## **Step 7: Monitor and Test**
1. **Check Runner Status**:
On GitHub, go to **Settings > Actions > Runners**. Ensure your runner is listed as **online**.
2. **Check Workflow Logs**:
If the deployment fails, review the logs in the **Actions** tab to debug any issues.
3. **Test Your Application**:
Visit your VPS IP or domain at the specified port (e.g., `http://your-vps-ip:3000`) to ensure your Node.js application is running.
---
### **Additional Tips**
1. **Using a Custom Domain**:
Set up a reverse proxy like **Nginx** to serve your app over a custom domain with HTTPS.
2. **Automate with PM2**:
PM2 ensures your application restarts if it crashes:
```bash
pm2 startup
pm2 save
```
3. **Monitoring**:
Use `pm2 monit` to monitor your application in real-time.
---
This workflow ensures your Node.js Express server is automatically deployed to your Ubuntu VPS upon pushing code changes to your GitHub repository. Let me know if you need further clarification or help!