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Deploy Hugo

Deploy a Hugo website anywhere

Prerequisites

Before diving into the deployment, ensure you have the following:

  1. Hugo installed on your local machine.
  2. A VPS running a Linux distribution (e.g., Ubuntu 22.04 or later).
  3. A custom domain name.
  4. Familiarity with using the terminal and SSH.

Step 1: Prepare Your VPS Environment

  • Update the System:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
  • Install Necessary Tools:
sudo apt install -y curl wget nano
  • Ensure Docker is Installed: Check if Docker is installed by running:
docker --version

If not installed, you can set it up as follows:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

Verify Docker is working:

sudo docker run hello-world

Step 2: Create a Dockerfile for Hugo

  • Prepare Your Hugo Site: On your local machine, build your Hugo site:
hugo -D

This generates a public/ directory containing your site’s static files.

  • Upload the public/ folder to your VPS:
scp -r public/ your-username@your-vps-ip:/var/www/html/hugo-site

Replace your-username with your VPS username and your-vps-ip with your server's IP address. This uploads the public/ folder to the VPS's /var/www/html/hugo-site directory.

  • Create a Dockerfile: On your VPS or local machine, create a Dockerfile for Hugo:
nano Dockerfile

Add the following content:

FROM nginx:alpine

LABEL maintainer="Your Name <youremail@example.com>"

# Remove the default Nginx HTML files
RUN rm -rf /usr/share/nginx/html/*

# Copy Hugo's public directory to Nginx
COPY public/ /usr/share/nginx/html

# Expose port 80
EXPOSE 80

# Start Nginx
CMD ["nginx", "-g", "daemon off;"]
  • Build the Docker Image: Build the image for your Hugo site:
sudo docker build -t hugo-site .
  • Run the Docker Container: Run the container to serve your Hugo site:
sudo docker run -d \
    --name hugo-site \
    -p 80:80 \
    hugo-site
  • Verify the Site: Visit your VPS IP address in a browser to ensure the site is running.

Step 3: Configure Caddy

Caddy is an excellent web server that automatically manages HTTPS certificates for your custom domain. We’ll use Docker to run Caddy.

  • Create a Caddyfile: On your VPS, create a Caddy configuration file:
sudo nano /var/www/html/Caddyfile

Add the following configuration:

yourdomain.com {
    reverse_proxy localhost:80
}

Replace yourdomain.com with your custom domain.

  • Run Caddy in Docker: Launch Caddy using Docker:
sudo docker run -d \
    --name caddy \
    -p 80:80 -p 443:443 \
    -v /var/www/html/Caddyfile:/etc/caddy/Caddyfile \
    -v caddy_data:/data \
    -v caddy_config:/config \
    caddy
  • Check Logs: Confirm that Caddy is running and serving your site:
sudo docker logs caddy

Look for messages indicating that HTTPS certificates have been successfully issued.

Step 4: Point Your Domain to the VPS

Update your domain’s DNS settings to point to your VPS’s IP address:

  • Log in to your domain registrar’s control panel.
  • Create an A record with the following values:
  • Name: @
  • Type: A
  • Value: Your VPS IP address
  • TTL: 1 Hour or Default

Allow some time for DNS propagation. You can verify the DNS setup using:

nslookup yourdomain.com

Step 5: Secure Your VPS

  • Configure a Firewall: Allow only essential traffic to your VPS: bash sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow http sudo ufw allow https sudo ufw enable

  • Enable Automatic Updates: Keep your system updated to avoid vulnerabilities: bash sudo apt install unattended-upgrades sudo dpkg-reconfigure --priority=low unattended-upgrades

  • Limit Docker Access: Ensure Docker is only accessible by authorized users: bash sudo usermod -aG docker user

Step 6: Test Your Deployment

  • Access Your Site: Open your browser and visit https://yourdomain.com. You should see your Hugo site live.

  • Check HTTPS: Verify the padlock icon in the address bar, indicating HTTPS is active.

  • Monitor Logs: Continuously monitor Caddy logs for any issues: bash sudo docker logs -f caddy

Troubleshooting

  • DNS Propagation Delays: If your domain doesn’t resolve, use a DNS checker like https://dnschecker.org to verify propagation.

  • Caddy Errors: Check the Caddyfile syntax and ensure ports 80 and 443 are open.

  • Docker Issues: Ensure the Docker container is running: bash sudo docker ps