Deployment
Cloud Providers
DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean uses User Data scripts that run automatically on first boot. You fill in the configuration variables at the top of the script, then paste the entire script when creating a Droplet.

Unlike Linode StackScripts, DigitalOcean has no form UI — you must edit the script directly before pasting.

Download script: digitalocean-droplet-keycloak-embed.sh

Embedded Keycloak (Recommended)

Use digitalocean-droplet-keycloak-embed.sh for the simplest setup with built-in SSO.

Step 1 — Fill in the configuration

Open the script and edit the CONFIGURATION block at the top:

# --- Required ---
PROJECT_ID="rtsurvey"                  # Unique identifier for your project (no spaces)
ADMIN_PASSWORD="admin"                 # Password for app admin and Keycloak — change after first login
 
# --- Domain + SSL ---
DOMAIN="myapp.example.com"            # Your domain — DNS A record must point here
PROJECT_URL=""                         # Leave blank unless behind Cloudflare/proxy
LETSENCRYPT_EMAIL="admin@example.com" # Email for Let's Encrypt notifications
 
# --- Optional ---
STATA_ENABLED="false"
TZ="Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh"
FieldRequiredDescription
PROJECT_IDYesUsed as database name and Keycloak client ID. Lowercase, no spaces.
ADMIN_PASSWORDNoPassword for app admin login and Keycloak admin console. Defaults to admin — change after first login.
DOMAINYesYour domain name. DNS A record must point to the Droplet IP.
LETSENCRYPT_EMAILYesEmail address for Let's Encrypt certificate notifications.
PROJECT_URLNoOverride the public URL. Leave blank to use DOMAIN. Useful behind Cloudflare.

Security: All passwords default to admin. Change them immediately after your first login.

Step 2 — Create a Droplet

In the DigitalOcean control panel (opens in a new tab):

  1. Click Create → Droplets
  2. Choose Ubuntu 22.04 LTS as the image
  3. Select Basic, 4 GB RAM / 2 vCPUs or larger
  4. Scroll to Advanced Options → check Add Initialization scripts
  5. Paste the full script content into the text area
  6. Click Create Droplet

Step 3 — Add the DNS record

While the Droplet boots, add an A record in your DNS provider:

Type  : A
Name  : myapp          (or @ for root domain)
Value : <droplet-ip>
TTL   : 300

Step 4 — Monitor progress

SSH into the Droplet and watch the log:

ssh root@<droplet-ip>
tail -f /var/log/rtcloud-setup.log

The script prints your server IP near the start — add the DNS record as soon as you see it.

Step 5 — Access the app

When setup completes, the log shows a summary:

============================================================
 rtCloud deployment complete! (Embedded Keycloak)
============================================================
 App URL   : https://myapp.example.com
 Admin     : admin / admin
 Keycloak  : https://myapp.example.com/auth/admin

 !! SECURITY: All passwords default to 'admin'.
    Change them immediately after first login.
============================================================

Open https://myapp.example.com in your browser and log in with username admin and password admin.

Change your password immediately after login via Settings in the top-right menu.

After Deployment

Change a password

SSH into the Droplet, edit .env, and restart the affected container:

nano /opt/rtcloud/.env
docker compose -f /opt/rtcloud/docker-compose.production.yml up -d --force-recreate rtcloud

Update the domain

If you assign a different domain after deployment, update PROJECT_URL in .env:

nano /opt/rtcloud/.env   # update PROJECT_URL=
docker compose -f /opt/rtcloud/docker-compose.production.yml up -d --force-recreate rtcloud

View all containers

docker compose -f /opt/rtcloud/docker-compose.production.yml ps
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