Deploying Next.js on ProDomain VPS

This guide walks you through deploying a production-ready Next.js application using the App Router. We will use a standard Linux environment with Node.js, PM2 for process management, and Nginx as a reverse proxy.

Prerequisites

1. A **Cloud VPS** instance (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS recommended).

2. Root or sudo access.

3. A domain name pointing to your VPS IP.

Step 1: Environment Setup

First, update your system and install the required build tools.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install curl git build-essential -y

Install Node.js (LTS)

We recommend using NodeSource for the latest stable Node.js version.

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

Verify the installation:

node -v
npm -v

Step 2: Clone & Build Your App

Navigate to your web directory and clone your repository.

mkdir -p /var/www/my-app
cd /var/www/my-app
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo .
npm install
npm run build

Step 3: PM2 Process Management

PM2 keeps your application running in the background and restarts it if it crashes.

sudo npm install -g pm2
pm2 start npm --name "nextjs-app" -- start
pm2 save
pm2 startup

Step 4: Nginx Reverse Proxy

Install Nginx to handle incoming traffic and SSL termination.

sudo apt install nginx

Create a new configuration file:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name example.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost: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;
    }
}

Link the configuration and restart Nginx:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/my-app /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Security Best Practices

• **Firewall**: Ensure ufw allows ports 80, 443, and 22.
• **SSL**: Use Certbot to obtain a free Let's Encrypt certificate.
• **Updates**: Regularly run `npm audit` and system updates.