VPS to app: deploying with Docker

Installing Docker on AlmaLinux or Ubuntu

“How do I install Docker on my VPS? Give the install for both AlmaLinux and Ubuntu from the official repository rather than the distro package, cover running it as a non-root user and what that actually grants, and explain why the convenience install script is a poor idea on a server you care about.”

7 min read

Docker Compose, and why you want it

“What is Docker Compose and why should I use it instead of long docker run commands? Explain the compose file, services, volumes and networks with a real example, and cover where to keep the file and what belongs in an env file instead.”

9 min read

A reverse proxy with Caddy or Traefik

“How do I put a reverse proxy in front of my containers so several apps can share port 443? Compare Caddy and Traefik, give a working configuration for one of them, and explain how requests reach the right container.”

8 min read

Pointing a domain at a container with automatic HTTPS

“How do I get a domain and a valid certificate onto my containerised app? Cover the DNS records, how automatic certificate issuance works, why it fails when port 80 is closed or DNS has not propagated, and how to check renewal is actually happening.”

10 min read

Deploying a Node or Python app

“How do I deploy my own Node or Python application to a VPS with Docker? Cover writing a Dockerfile that is not enormous, handling environment variables and secrets, connecting to a database container, and making the app restart if the server reboots.”

10 min read

Updating a container without downtime

“How do I deploy a new version without my site going down? Cover pulling a new image and recreating the service, health checks so traffic only moves when the new container is actually ready, keeping the previous image so you can roll back, and handling database migrations.”

9 min read