Deploying a Node.js project to Linode

July 17, 2023 · 4 min read

Software Developer @ JPMC

To deploy a Node.js app to Linode, follow the instructions below:

Sign up for a Linode account
Click on Create Linode
Choose Ubuntu LTS for the distribution
Choose a Region closest to you
In the Linode Plan section, choose Shared CPU and then choose Nanode 1GB.
Create a Root Password
Add an SSH key or choose one from your existing keys
Click Create Linode
Wait for the Linode to show Running
Copy the Linode SSH Access, paste it in the terminal and run it
When it prompts you asking -> "Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no/fingerprint)?", type "yes"

Now, run the following commands ->

    apt-get update
    apt-get upgrade
    apt-get install npm
    npm i -g n
    n install lts
    exit

Restart the server by entering your SSH Access. The server will now be using the latest node version
Make sure your latest project code is pushed to a GitHub repository.
Create a SSH key on your server and copy and upload to GitHub.
Git clone the repository using SSH.
cd into your project and run npm install
(optional) If you want to copy the .env file from your local machine to the remote server, run the following command: scp <location_of_file_in_local_machine>/.env root@<server_ip_address>:~/<location_of_project> You can add a -r flag to the command to copy an entire folder.
Run the node project to ensure it's running correctly.
Then run the following commands:

npm i -g pm2 // install pm2
pm2 start <entry_file_name>.js -n <project_name> // start the project
pm2 startup ubuntu // to restart API by itself, in case of crash
apt-get install nginx // install nginx for reverse-proxy
cd ~/etc/nginx/sites-available
nano default

In this file make the following changes:
- a. At "server*name *;" replace the underscore with your domain name(with and without www prefix) or server IP address.
- b. In the "location /" block, remove the existing code and add the following:
```
location / {
proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;
proxy_http_version 1.1;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
}
```
- c. [Ctrl] + S to save the file. [Ctrl] + X to exit the file.
Run nginx -t to check if the changes are correct.
Restart nginx by running systemctl restart nginx.
cd ~ and then ufw enable to enable the firewall.
Run ufw allow ssh, ufw allow http and ufw allow https to allow using these methods through the firewall. The firewall restricts access trough other ports like 5000.
Run snap install --classic certbot to install the Let's Encrypt certificate manager.
Run ln -s /snap/bin/certbot /usr/bin/certbot to link the certificate manager to the /usr/bin/certbot folder.
Setup Domain on Linode by ->
1. Go to Domains tab in sidebar.
2. Create a new domain.
3. In the "Domain" section, type the domain name.
4. Provide an email address.
5. In Insert Default Records, select Insert Default Records from one of my Linodes
6. Select the Linode you want to use.
7. Click Create Domain
8. Copy the NS(name servers) and add them to your domain name provider (example: namecheap) as Custom DNS
9. Click Save
10. Check if your domain (without https) now shows your project.
Run certbot --nginx
(optional) Run certbot renew --dry-run to check if the SSL certificate gets renewed successfully.
Reload your domain to check if it is now secure.

You have now successfully deployed your project to a Linode with a SSL certificate.

References

Creating and Using SSH keys

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References