Steps to set up a new Rails app, initialize a git repo, push to Github and deploy to Heroku

This is a list of steps to:

Setup a new Rails app
Initialize a local repository using git
Create a new remote repository using GitHub
Change README.rdoc
Deploy to a cloud service - Heroku

Assumptions:

Ruby is installed (v 1.9.3)
Rails is installed (v 3.2.3)
Git is installed
Github account is established
Heroku account is established
Heroku gem is installed and SSH keys added

Setup a new Rails app

Navigate to the directory in which you want the new app created using 'change directory' (cd).

Use the 'make directory' (mkdir) command if you want to create a new directory, such as rails_projects (Note: Rails will automatically create a directory for all your app files)

  $ cd <correct_directory>

Create a new app. It's good practice to append your new app name with '_app' so that it will not be confused with any classes you create later.

The 'rails new' command will create the default Rails file structure inside a directory with the name you gave in the command above

  $ rails new <new_app>

Navigate to the newly created directory using 'cd'

  $ cd <new_app>

Initialize a git repository

Initialize a new git repository locally
(This initializes a repository in the current working directory, so ensure you are in the correct one.)

  $ git init

Add everything in the current directory to the repository

  $ git add .

OPTIONAL - Check git status to show you what is currently in the 'staging area'

  $ git status

Commit all the changes in the 'staging area' to the LOCAL git repository and add a comment

  $ git commit -m "Initial commit"

OPTIONAL - Check the log to show a list of commit messages

  $ git log

Create a new GitHub repository and set as master branch

Create a new GitHub repository

  # Log in to GitHub 

  # Select 'New repository' or navigate to https://github.com/new

  # Add a Repository name that matches your app name (<new_app>) 

  # Deselect 'Initialize this repository with a README.

Tell git to add Github as the origin for the 'master' branch

  $ git remote add origin [email protected]:<username>/<new_app>.git

Push the local repository up to Github (the remote repository)

  $ git push -u origin master

Change README.rdoc, commit and push the change

Open README.rdoc in textmate

  $ mate README.rdoc      
                                      
  # Replace default info with info relevant to your app

Commit all (-a) modifications with a comment (-m) about what was changed
[Use 'git add' first if new files were created]

  $ git push

Push locally commited changes to Github
[Can skip 'origin master' b/c one push was done above]

  $ git commit -a -m "Improve the README file"

Deploy to Heroku

Create a new app with subdomain at Heroku

  $ heroku create --stack cedar

Push the app to Heroku

  $ git push heroku master

Open the app in the browser
(Subdomain is listed in the terminal after the 'heroku create' command)

  $ heroku open

If Heroku doesn't work, check your GEMFILE.

These are the initial changes recommended by Hartl

gem 'jquery-rails', '2.0.0'

group :development do
   gem 'sqlite3', '1.3.5'
end

group :assets do
   gem 'sass-rails',   '3.2.4'
   gem 'coffee-rails', '3.2.2'
   gem 'uglifier', '1.2.3'
end

startupstella/rails_github_heroku.md