Setting Up Ruby on Rails on DigitalOcean: Nginx as Your Web Server

WHAT TO KNOW - Sep 10 - - Dev Community

Setting Up Ruby on Rails on DigitalOcean: Nginx as Your Web Server

In the world of web development, Ruby on Rails is a renowned framework known for its efficiency, speed, and elegance. Combining its power with the robust performance of DigitalOcean's cloud infrastructure and the flexibility of Nginx as your web server creates a formidable setup for your web applications. This article provides a comprehensive guide to setting up Ruby on Rails on DigitalOcean, leveraging Nginx for efficient web serving.

Introduction: Why Choose This Stack?

Let's break down why this combination is a popular choice:

  • Ruby on Rails : A mature and versatile framework built on the "convention over configuration" principle, enabling rapid application development. Its robust libraries and tools streamline complex tasks, allowing developers to focus on business logic and user experience.
  • DigitalOcean : A cloud hosting provider offering cost-effective, reliable, and user-friendly infrastructure. Its intuitive interface, scalable resources, and comprehensive documentation make it an ideal platform for deploying web applications.
  • Nginx : A high-performance web server known for its speed, efficiency, and versatility. Nginx excels in handling static content, reverse proxying, and load balancing, making it a perfect complement to Ruby on Rails.

Together, these components provide a robust, scalable, and developer-friendly environment for deploying your Rails applications.

Setting Up Your DigitalOcean Droplet

Begin by creating a DigitalOcean Droplet. We'll be using Ubuntu 22.04 for this guide.

1. Create a Droplet

  1. Log in to your DigitalOcean account.
  2. Navigate to the "Create" section and select "Droplet."
  3. Choose an appropriate plan based on your project's needs. For a beginner project, the "Basic" plan is sufficient.
  4. Select "Ubuntu 22.04" as your distribution.
  5. Choose a suitable region and data center location for your application.
  6. Add a hostname for your Droplet (e.g., "myrailsapp").
  7. Optional: Configure SSH keys for secure access to your Droplet.
  8. Click "Create Droplet" to initiate the deployment process.

2. SSH Access

Once your Droplet is ready, connect to it via SSH. DigitalOcean provides helpful tutorials and documentation on SSH access. You can use your preferred SSH client (e.g., PuTTY, Terminal).

Installing Ruby and Rails

With your Droplet ready, we can start installing the core components: Ruby and Rails.

1. Install Ruby

We'll use the **rbenv** tool for managing multiple Ruby versions. It's a popular and flexible way to control your Ruby environment.

  1. Install rbenv and its plugins : ```bash git clone https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git ~/.rbenv git clone https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git ~/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc ```
  2. Install the desired Ruby version : Check the official Ruby website for the latest stable release. Replace `2.7.5` with your preferred version. ```bash rbenv install 2.7.5 rbenv global 2.7.5 rbenv rehash ```

2. Install Rails

Now, install the Rails framework using the RubyGems package manager. 

gem install rails
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Setting Up Nginx

Nginx is a highly efficient web server that will serve your Rails application.

1. Install Nginx

Use the apt package manager to install Nginx on your Droplet. 

sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx
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2. Configure Nginx

Navigate to the Nginx configuration directory and create a new configuration file for your Rails application: 

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/myrailsapp
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Paste the following configuration within the file. Remember to replace 'myrailsapp.example.com' with your domain name or the hostname you assigned to your Droplet. Also, ensure the file path for your Rails application is correct. 

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name myrailsapp.example.com;

    root /home/deploy/myrailsapp/public;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
    }

    location ^~ /assets/ {
        gzip_static on;
        expires max;
        add_header Cache-Control public;
    }

    error_page 404 /404.html;
    error_page 500 502 503 504 /500.html;

    location /500.html {
        root /home/deploy/myrailsapp/public;
    }

    location /404.html {
        root /home/deploy/myrailsapp/public;
    }
}
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This configuration defines a server block that handles requests to your domain name. It specifies the root directory for your Rails application's public assets, configures the handling of static assets and error pages, and sets up the default document to be served (index.html). Make sure the paths match your project structure.

3. Enable the Configuration

Enable the configuration file by creating a symbolic link to the sites-enabled directory: 

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/myrailsapp /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
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4. Restart Nginx

After making changes to the Nginx configuration, restart the service for the changes to take effect. 

sudo systemctl restart nginx
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Creating Your Rails Application

With the environment set up, we can create your Ruby on Rails application.

1. Create a New Rails Project

Log in to your Droplet via SSH and navigate to the directory where you want to create your Rails project. Then run the following command, replacing 'myrailsapp' with your desired project name. 

rails new myrailsapp
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This command will create a new Rails application directory with the necessary files and folders.

2. Configure Database

Rails requires a database to store your application data. We'll use PostgreSQL, a powerful and popular database choice for web applications.

  1. Install PostgreSQL : ```bash sudo apt update sudo apt install postgresql postgresql-contrib ```
  2. Create a PostgreSQL user and database : ```bash sudo -u postgres psql CREATE USER rails_user WITH PASSWORD 'your_strong_password'; CREATE DATABASE myrailsapp_db OWNER rails_user; \q ``` Replace 'your_strong_password' with a secure password.
  3. Update your Rails application's database configuration : Open the `config/database.yml` file in your Rails application directory and replace the existing configuration with the following. Ensure you replace the placeholder values with your actual database credentials. ```yaml development: adapter: postgresql encoding: utf8 host: localhost database: myrailsapp_db pool: 5 username: rails_user password: your_strong_password test: adapter: postgresql encoding: utf8 host: localhost database: myrailsapp_test pool: 5 username: rails_user password: your_strong_password production: adapter: postgresql encoding: utf8 host: localhost database: myrailsapp_production pool: 5 username: rails_user password: your_strong_password ```

3. Install Gems and Dependencies

Rails applications often require various gems for functionality. Install the necessary gems by running: 

cd myrailsapp
bundle install
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This command will read your `Gemfile` and install all the required dependencies.

Deployment

Now that your Rails application is set up, we can deploy it to your DigitalOcean Droplet. There are multiple deployment strategies, but we'll focus on a simple and effective approach using **Capistrano**.

1. Install Capistrano

Capistrano is a deployment tool designed for Rails applications. It automates the deployment process, making it efficient and reliable. 

gem install capistrano
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2. Generate Capistrano Configuration

Navigate to your Rails application directory and generate a Capistrano configuration file: 

cap install
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This will create the necessary files and folders within your project for Capistrano deployment.

3. Configure Capistrano

Open the `config/deploy.rb` file in your Rails application and configure Capistrano settings. Here's a basic configuration: 

set :application, 'myrailsapp'
set :repo_url, 'git@github.com:your_username/myrailsapp.git' # Replace with your Git repository URL
set :deploy_to, '/home/deploy/myrailsapp'

set :pty, true
set :log_level, :info
set :keep_releases, 5

set :linked_files, %w{config/database.yml config/secrets.yml}
set :linked_dirs, %w{log tmp/pids tmp/cache tmp/sockets vendor/bundle public/system}

# Default value for :format is :pretty
# set :format, :pretty

# Default value for :log_level is :debug
# set :log_level, :debug

# Default value for :pty is false
# set :pty, true

# Default value for :linked_files is []
# set :linked_files, %w{config/database.yml}

# Default value for linked_dirs is []
# set :linked_dirs, %w{log tmp/pids tmp/cache tmp/sockets vendor/bundle public/system}

# Default value for default_env is {}
# set :default_env, { path: "/opt/ruby/bin:$PATH" }

# Default value for keep_releases is 5
# set :keep_releases, 5

namespace :deploy do
  task :restart do
    invoke 'nginx:restart'
  end

  after :publishing, :restart
  after :rollback, :restart

  after :finishing, 'deploy:cleanup'

end
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This configuration specifies various settings, including the application name, repository URL, deployment path, linked files and directories, and deployment tasks. Adjust these values according to your project needs.

4. Deploy Your Application

To deploy your application, run the following command in your Rails project directory: 

cap deploy
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Capistrano will handle the deployment process, including code checkout, dependency installation, asset compilation, database migrations, and restarting the application.

Accessing Your Application

Once the deployment is complete, you can access your Rails application by opening your web browser and entering the domain name or hostname you assigned to your Droplet. For example, if your domain name is "myrailsapp.example.com," you would open "http://myrailsapp.example.com" in your browser.

Monitoring and Security

It's important to monitor your application's performance and ensure its security. Here are some essential practices:

1. Monitoring

Use DigitalOcean's monitoring tools to track your Droplet's resource utilization, network traffic, and other metrics. This helps you identify potential performance bottlenecks or resource constraints.

2. Security

Implement security measures to protect your application from vulnerabilities and attacks. This includes:

  • Secure your SSH access : Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication for your SSH connections.
  • Update your software : Keep your system and dependencies up-to-date with the latest security patches.
  • Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF) : A WAF can help filter malicious traffic and protect your application from common attacks.
  • Implement secure coding practices : Avoid common vulnerabilities like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS).

Conclusion

Setting up Ruby on Rails on DigitalOcean with Nginx as your web server provides a robust and scalable foundation for your web applications. This article has guided you through each step, from droplet creation to deployment and security.

Remember to:

  • Choose the appropriate Droplet plan based on your project's needs.
  • Configure Nginx properly for efficient web serving.
  • Use a version control system like Git for code management.
  • Implement continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) for automated deployments.
  • Prioritize security and monitor your application's performance.

By following these guidelines, you can create and deploy successful Ruby on Rails applications on DigitalOcean, utilizing the power of Nginx for optimal performance and scalability.

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