Full terminal commands & configs to set up a Next.js app on a DigitalOcean Ubuntu server (with PM2, NGINX, SSL, and optional GitHub Actions auto-deploy)

01. Setup Next.js App on DigitalOcean Ubuntu Server

# 🚀 Setup Next.js App on DigitalOcean Ubuntu Server
> **Full Terminal Commands Step-by-Step**

### **Login to server**
```bash
ssh root@ip_address


### **Upgrade Server**
sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

### **Install NGINX and Certbot**
sudo apt install nginx certbot python3-certbot-nginx

### **Allow Firewall Access**
sudo ufw allow "Nginx Full"
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw enable

02. Install NPM and PM2

### **Install NPM**
sudo apt install npm



### **Install Node.js**
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash
exec $SHELL
nvm install --lts
nvm install 20
nvm use 20
nvm alias default 20

### **Install Node.js**
Option 2 (Nodesource):
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt-get install -y nodejs


### **Install PM2**
npm install -g pm2
pm2 status

03. Setup SSH key to pull repo

### **[Setup SSH key to pull repo]**
cd /root/.ssh
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

### **[Setup SSH key to pull repo]**
GitHub Repo Settings > Deploy Keys, or
GitHub Profile Settings > SSH Keys (for all repos).

04. Setup Nextjs app

### **Go to web root**
cd /var/www

### **Create Next.js App OR Clone Existing Repo**
# Option 1:
npx create-next-app@latest my_app
# Option 2:
git clone [email protected]:username/repo_name.git
# Or clone specific branch
git clone -b branch-name [email protected]:username/repo_name.git local-folder-name

### **Install & Build**
cd name_of_app
npm install
npm run build

05. Create NGINX Config

### **Create NGINX Config**
cd /etc/nginx/sites-available
touch name_of_app
nano name_of_app

# See config in section 07.



### **Enable Config & Remove Default**
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/name_of_app /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/name_of_app
nginx -t
rm /etc/nginx/sites-available/default
rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default
systemctl restart nginx

06. Run with PM2 and Enable SSL

### **Run with PM2**
cd /var/www/name_of_app

# Default port
pm2 start npm --name name_of_app -- start

# Custom port
pm2 start npm --name name_of_app -- start -- --port=3001

pm2 save
pm2 startup


### **Enable SSL**
sudo certbot --nginx -d domain.com -d www.domain.com

07. setup NGINX Config for Next.js

### **02 - NGINX Config for Next.js**
# Place in /etc/nginx/sites-available/name_of_app

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name domainname.com www.domainname.com;

    gzip on;
    gzip_proxied any;
    gzip_types application/javascript application/x-javascript text/css text/javascript;
    gzip_comp_level 5;
    gzip_buffers 16 8k;
    gzip_min_length 256;

    location /_next/static/ {
        alias /var/www/name_of_app/.next/static/;
        expires 365d;
        access_log off;
    }

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        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;
    }
}

08. Auto Deployment from GitHub

### **Auto Deployment from GitHub**
cd /root/.ssh
ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "[email protected]"
eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa
cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub  # Add to GitHub

09. GitHub Actions Deploy File

### **GitHub Actions Deploy File**
# .github/workflows/deploy.yml

name: Deploy Next.js App

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - branch_name

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: "20"
      - uses: webfactory/[email protected]
        with:
          ssh-private-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}
      - name: Deploy to Server
        env:
          HOST: XX.XX.XX.XX
          USERNAME: root
          TARGET_DIR: /var/www/folder_name
          APP_NAME: app_name
          PORT: 3000
        run: |
          ssh -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no $USERNAME@$HOST << EOF
            export PATH=/root/.nvm/versions/node/v20.12.0/bin:$PATH
            cd $TARGET_DIR
            git pull origin ${GITHUB_REF#refs/heads/}
            npm install
            npm run build
            if pm2 list | grep -q $APP_NAME; then
              pm2 restart $APP_NAME
            else
              pm2 start npm --name $APP_NAME -- start -- --port=$PORT
            fi
            pm2 save
          EOF

10. Helpful Commands

### **Helpful Commands**
pm2 start npm --name name_of_app -- start
systemctl restart nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d domain.com

Amazing Work.