Is there a simple step-by-step guide to get a Answers deployed onto cloud with ngnix?

Question

Based on the few questions around deployment, it seems like it would be beneficial to have a simple guide with a cloud provider on getting Answers deployed with a database on to <my-domain>.dev with all the pre-requisites steps including SSL, perhaps even with one or two recommended cloud providers, one for those optimizing for simplicity and another with all the bells and whistles.

In current state, the friction of deployment feels still a bit high. I suppose that will get resolved once there is a "Hosted Answers" provider, but wondering if something can be done until that point?

Anton · Accepted Answer

This might be a viable cheap hosting solution, which supports Answers:

https://www.pikapods.com/apps

My full journey to successful clean set-up where users can log-in using Google log-in as well as sign-up using their email is roughly as follows:

Create a AWS Lightsail Droplet / Domain / DNS
fiddle fiddle fiddle
Realize that AWS Lightsail kinda sucks
Switch to Digital Ocean
Set-up New DO Droplet with a clean ubuntu (do not do Ubuntu + Docker image, had problems there)
Install pre-requisites
Compile w/ OAuth2, create docker image (to compile, up the droplet to 2GB Memory or even 4GB, to run can go back down to 1GB to start)
Create MySQL DB on Digital Ocean
Run docker image
Follow initial install steps to get Answers up and running
Install Nginx Proxy Manager(Yes!) to get SSL and port forwarding
Configure Oath2 with Google, following Google instructions / questions here
Figure out SMTP outgoing email, ended up using https://forwardemail.net/, but there are many options
Configure that, viewing docker logs for debugging
Success!

Took about 3-4 days about 1 hour each day. I'm technical, but mostly doing this for the first time. All-in-all, I'm happy, would be great to include above with detailed instructions in some sort of getting started guide.

Beck · Answer

Hi Anton, there are simple steps you can take to self host Answer on lets say Digital Ocean.

Create Digital Ocean Droplet VM
Point A record of sub/domain to Droplets IP
Use Nginx Proxy Manager to get automated SSL cert and proxy FQDN to the docker instance of Answer.

Do let me know if you need help.

Is there a simple step-by-step guide to get a Answers deployed onto cloud with ngnix?

2 Answers