Setting Up Git-Based Automatic Deployment on a Virtual Private Server (VPS)
When leveraging Git for version control, the conventional workflow primarily revolves around managing source code. However, Git can also be a powerful tool for seamlessly deploying applications to production environments. In this guide, we'll walk you through the process of setting up automatic deployment with Git on a Virtual Private Server (VPS), enhancing your development and deployment pipeline.
Server Configuration:
Imagine your workspace as follows:
- Server live directory:
/var/www/domain.com - Server repository:
/var/repo/site.git
To initiate the process, let's create the repository on your VPS:
cd /var
mkdir repo && cd repo
mkdir site.git && cd site.git
git init --bare
The use of --bare signifies that this folder will exclusively handle version control, without containing the actual source files.
Git Hooks:
Git repositories include a directory called 'hooks,' housing sample files for potential actions. Three notable server hooks are 'pre-receive,' 'post-receive,' and 'update.' We'll focus on 'post-receive,' which executes after a 'push' is completed.
Navigate to the 'hooks' folder and create the 'post-receive' file:
cd hooks
cat > post-receive
Insert the following content:
#!/bin/sh
git --work-tree=/var/www/domain.com --git-dir=/var/repo/site.git checkout -f
Save with 'control-d' and set proper permissions:
chmod +x post-receive
Local Machine Configuration:
Create a local repository, configure the remote path, and add a remote called 'live':
cd /my/workspace
mkdir project && cd project
git init
git remote add live ssh://[email protected]/var/repo/site.git
Assuming your work is ready, stage and commit changes, then push to the server:
git add .
git commit -m "My project is ready"
git push live master
Beta Deployment:
If you prefer a staged deployment, create a beta directory and repository on the server. Repeat the 'post-receive' file creation, linking it to the beta directory. Set up a remote pointing to the beta repository on your local machine:
git remote add beta ssh://[email protected]/var/repo/beta.git
Now, you can push to the beta repository for testing:
git push beta master
Once satisfied, proceed to push to the live repository:
git push live master
Collaborative Deployment:
Enable collaborative decision-making by linking the beta and live repositories on the server:
cd /var/repo/beta.git
git remote add live ../site.git
Now, push from beta to live on the server:
git push live master
Congratulations! Your VPS is now configured for automatic deployment using Git, offering a streamlined and efficient development workflow.
