Capistrano tricks to add to your deploy.rb file.

deploy.rb

require 'capistrano_colors'
require 'capistrano/maintenance'
require 'capistrano/ext/multistage'
require 'colored'
require 'ruby_cowsay'
require 'manic_monkey'

# change this to ::INFO if you need more... umm... info
# change this to ::IMPORTANT for normal deploys
logger.level = Logger::IMPORTANT

capistrano_color_matchers = [
  { :match => /command finished/,
    :color => :hide,
    :prio => 10 },
  { :match => /executing command/,
    :color => :blue,
    :prio => 10,
    :attribute => :underscore },
  { :match => /^transaction: commit$/,
    :color => :magenta,
    :prio => 10,
    :attribute => :blink },
  { :match => /git/,
    :color => :white,
    :prio => 20,
    :attribute => :reverse },
]

colorize( capistrano_color_matchers )

STDOUT.sync = true

def intro_cow( cow = 'stegosaurus')
  cow = Cow.new({ :cow => cow })
  msg = "#{Time.now.strftime("%c")}.\n Deploying to #{stage}, dude!"
  cow.say(msg)
end

# spinner stuff
@spinner_running = false
@chars = ['|', '/', '-', '\\']
@spinner = Thread.new do
  loop do
    Thread.stop unless @spinner_running
    print @chars[0]
    sleep(0.1)
    print "\b"
    @chars.push @chars.shift
  end
end

def start_spinner
  @spinner_running = true
  @spinner.wakeup
end

# stops the spinner and backspaces over last displayed character
def stop_spinner
  @spinner_running = false
  print "\b"
end

task :uname do
  run "uname -a"
end

namespace :deploy do

  [:restart, :stop, :start].each do |t|
    desc "#{t.to_s.capitalize} the Unicorn web server"
    task t, :roles => :app, :except => {:no_release => true} do
      run "/etc/init.d/#{application} #{ t }"
    end
  end

  task :symlink_logs, :roles => :web, :except => { :no_release => true } do
    invoke_command <<-CMD, :via => run_method
      cd #{release_path};
      ln -nfs #{shared_path}/log #{release_path}/log;
    CMD
  end

  task :symlink_database_yml, :roles => :web, :except => { :no_release => true } do
    invoke_command <<-CMD, :via => run_method
      cd #{release_path};
      rm config/database.yml;
      ln -nfs #{shared_path}/system/database.yml #{release_path}/config/database.yml;
    CMD
  end

  task :symlink_database, :roles => :web, :except => { :no_release => true } do
    invoke_command <<-CMD, :via => run_method
      cd #{release_path};
      ln -nfs #{shared_path}/db/production.sqlite3 #{release_path}/db/production.sqlite3;
    CMD
  end

  task :symlink_assets, :roles => :web, :except => { :no_release => true } do
    invoke_command <<-CMD, :via => run_method
      cd #{release_path};
      rm -rf #{release_path}/public/assets;
      ln -nfs #{shared_path}/assets #{release_path}/public/assets;
    CMD
  end

  task :symlink_devise_keys, :roles => :web, :except => { :no_release => true } do
    invoke_command <<-CMD, :via => run_method
      cd #{release_path};
      ln -nfs #{shared_path}/config/devise_keys.rb #{release_path}/config/initializers/01_devise_keys.rb;
    CMD
  end

  # we only want these for minimalized
  if logger.level == 0
    before 'deploy' do
      puts intro_cow
    end

    before 'deploy:update_code' do
      puts '---> '.green << 'Start Updating code'
    end

    after 'deploy:update_code' do
      puts '---> '.green << 'Code updating finished? ' << ' YES'.green
    end

    before 'deploy:symlink_devise_keys' do
      print ' --> '.yellow << 'Symlinking devise keys.............'
      start_spinner()
    end
    after 'deploy:symlink_devise_keys' do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before 'deploy:migrate' do
      print ' --> '.yellow << 'Migrating database.................'
      start_spinner()
    end
    after 'deploy:migrate' do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before 'deploy:symlink_database' do
      print ' --> '.yellow << 'Symlinking database................'
      start_spinner()
    end
    after 'deploy:symlink_database' do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before 'deploy:symlink_database_yml' do
      print ' --> '.yellow << 'Symlinking database yml............'
      start_spinner()
    end
    after 'deploy:symlink_database_yml' do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before 'deploy:symlink_assets' do
      print ' --> '.yellow << 'Symlinking asset files.............'
      start_spinner()
    end
    after 'deploy:symlink_assets' do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before "bundle:install" do
      print " --> ".yellow << "Hardcore bundle action............"
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "bundle:install" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before "deploy:assets:precompile" do
      print " --> ".yellow << "Assets Precompilation............."
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:assets:precompile" do
      stop_spinner()
      assets_skipped ? (puts " ✗ SKIP".red) : (puts  " ✓".green)
    end

    before "deploy:assets_compress" do
      print " --> ".yellow << "Assets Compress............."
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:assets_compress" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before "deploy:stop" do
      print "---> ".green << "#{server_type} stop................"
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:stop" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before "deploy:start" do
      print "---> ".green << "#{server_type} start..............."
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:start" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before "deploy:restart" do
      print "---> ".green << "#{server_type} restart............."
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:restart" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end

    before "deploy:web:disable" do
      print "---> ".green << "Put maintenance screen............."
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:web:disable" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end
    before "deploy:web:enable" do
      print "---> ".green << "Remove maintenance screen..."
      start_spinner()
    end
    after  "deploy:web:enable" do
      stop_spinner()
      puts  " ✓".green
    end
  end
end