Step 1: Install Nginx, Node.js, and Certbot
First, connect to your server via SSH and execute the following commands:
# Navigate to the current user's home directory
cd ~
# Set up Node.js repository
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_14.x -o nodesource_setup.sh
sudo bash nodesource_setup.sh
# Update package lists and install required packages
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx nodejs certbot python3-certbot-nginxStep 2: Setup firewall
Setup firewall and enable Nginx in your firewall:
# Download firewall
sudo apt install ufw
# Allow OpenSSH connections (needed for SSH)
sudo ufw allow 'OpenSSH'
# Allow Nginx Full
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
# Allow SSH Connections
sudo ufw allow 21
sudo ufw allow 22
# Enable the firewall
sudo ufw enableStep 3: Set Up Let's Encrypt with Certbot
Before proceeding, ensure your domain is pointed to your server's IP address using DNS A records.
| Type | Host | Value | TTL |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Record | @ | Your Server IP | 60 |
Note: Set the TTL according to your provider's recommendations. The TTL value indicates the time in seconds after which the server will be pinged again.
Create a Nginx configuration for the site:
# sitename -> keep it your websitename
sudo nano /etc/nginx/conf.d/sitename.confUpdate the server_name directive with your domain and the proxy_pass to the address where your website will be live:
server {
root /var/www/html;
# Add index.php to the list if you are using PHP
index index.html index.htm index.nginx-debian.html;
server_name deedz.dev www.deedz.dev;
location / {
# First attempt to serve request as file, then
# as directory, then fall back to displaying a 404.
proxy_pass http://localhost:5001;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Port $server_port;
}
}Check for syntax errors and restart Nginx:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginxRun Certbot to set up HTTPS:
sudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.comFollow the prompts to complete the certificate setup.
Step 4: Set Up Reverse Proxy
We have already added the necessary code in Step 3. Simply restart Nginx to apply the changes:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginxStep 5: Set Up Your Next.js App
Upload your code to GitHub, install GitHub on your server, and connect with GitHub CLI (refer to another blog for setup instructions). After that, follow these steps:
git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git
cd repo
npm install # or yarn install
npm run build # or yarn buildnpm install -g pm2# The sitename can be anything; it represents your PM2 process name and port, which should match the configuration in Nginx.
sudo pm2 start npm --name "sitename-5001" -- start -- --port=5001Important Points
To see the list of applications, use:
pm2 lsTo restart the application, use:
pm2 restart sitename-5001To stop the application, use:
pm2 stop next
pm2 resurrect
