DigitalOcean, PM2, Nginx, and Certbot Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet guides you through deploying applications on the internet using DigitalOcean for hosting, PM2 for process management, Nginx as a web server, and Certbot for HTTPS encryption.

1. Domain and DigitalOcean Setup

  • Get a Domain: Purchase a domain from a registrar.
  • Set Nameservers: Update your domain's nameservers to point to DigitalOcean. This is usually done from your domain registrar's dashboard.

  • Create Droplet: In DigitalOcean, create a droplet with the following specs (or as needed):

    • 2 vCPUs
    • 2GB RAM
    • 90GB Disk
    • $24/mo
  • Set Up DNS: Configure DNS settings in DigitalOcean to connect your domain to the newly created droplet.

2. SSH into Your Virtual Machine (VM)

  • SSH Command: Use ssh root@ipaddress or ssh root@yourdomain.me (if the A record is set up).
  • Initial Server Setup: Update the server, create a non-root user, and set up a firewall as per best practices.

3. Install Essential Packages

Run the following commands to install necessary packages:

apt update && apt install nodejs npm ranger neovim nginx -y
snap install certbot --classic
npm i -g n pm2
n lts
apt remove nodejs -y
  • Exit and Re-enter Terminal: To refresh your environment and verify the Node.js installation with which node and node -v.

4. SSH Key and GitHub Setup

  • Generate SSH Key: Run ssh-keygen and accept the defaults.
  • Copy Public Key: Use cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub to display your public key.
  • Add SSH Key to GitHub: Navigate to https://github.com/settings/keys and add your public key.

5. Clone Your Project

  • Git Clone: Clone your project repository to your VM.
  • Install Dependencies: Navigate to your project directory, ensure Node.js versions between your local machine and droplet align, and run npm i.
  • Start with PM2: Use PM2 to start your application, e.g., pm2 start server.js --name "app_name".

6. Nginx Configuration

  • Edit Nginx Configuration: Use ranger to navigate to /etc/nginx/sites-available and edit the default file with neovim.
  • Configure Proxy Pass: Set server_name to your domain and configure location / with proxy_pass http://localhost:YOUR_APP_PORT;.

Example:

server_name yourdomain.me;

location / {
    proxy_pass http://localhost:8000;
}

7. Set Up HTTPS with Certbot

  • Run Certbot: Execute certbot --nginx and follow the prompts to secure your site with HTTPS.

Key Steps Summary

  1. Domain and Hosting Setup: Purchase a domain, set nameservers, create a DigitalOcean droplet, and configure DNS.
  2. SSH Access: Securely access your VM via SSH.
  3. Install Packages: Install Node.js, npm, Nginx, and other essential tools.
  4. GitHub Integration: Generate an SSH key and add it to your GitHub account for secure repository cloning.
  5. Project Deployment: Clone your project, install dependencies, and use PM2 for process management.
  6. Nginx Configuration: Configure Nginx as a reverse proxy to forward requests to your application.
  7. HTTPS Encryption: Secure your application with HTTPS using Certbot.

By following these steps, you'll have a solid foundation for deploying and managing web applications on the internet with DigitalOcean, PM2, Nginx, and Certbot.