The deployment repository includes automated provisioning scripts for the four major cloud providers. Each script runs on first boot of a fresh Ubuntu 22.04 LTS server and performs a fully unattended setup:

  • Installs Docker and Docker Compose
  • Generates secure random passwords (or uses values you supply)
  • Creates the docker-compose.production.yml file
  • Configures Nginx as a reverse proxy (when a domain is provided)
  • Obtains a TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt (when a domain is provided)
  • Configures the UFW firewall
  • Optionally deploys the embedded Keycloak SSO server
  • Outputs a deployment summary with all credentials

Setup completes in 5–10 minutes on a standard instance. Progress is written to a log file on the server.

Server Sizing Guide

Use CaseRAMDiskRecommended Instance
Development / evaluation2 GB25 GBDigitalOcean Basic $18/mo, AWS t3.small, GCP e2-small
Small team (< 50 users)4 GB40 GBDigitalOcean Basic $24/mo, AWS t3.medium, GCP e2-medium
Production (> 50 users)8 GB80 GBDigitalOcean General Purpose $48/mo, AWS t3.large, GCP n2-standard-2

DigitalOcean

Use digitalocean-droplet.sh as the user-data script when creating a Droplet.

Steps

  1. Open the script and fill in the CONFIGURATION block at the top with your passwords, image tag, and optional domain.

  2. In the DigitalOcean control panel, create a new Droplet:

    • Image: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
    • Size: Basic, 2 GB RAM / 2 vCPUs or larger
    • Advanced Options → Add Initialization scripts → paste the full script content

  3. Create the Droplet. The script runs automatically on first boot.

  4. Monitor progress over SSH:

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

  5. Access the app at http://<droplet-ip>:<APP_PORT> when setup completes.

After Deployment

If you assign a custom domain to the Droplet after it is running, update PROJECT_URL in /opt/rtcloud/.env and recreate the app container:

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

AWS EC2

Use aws-ec2.sh as the user data script when launching an EC2 instance.

Steps

  1. Open the script and fill in the CONFIGURATION block at the top.

  2. In the AWS EC2 console, launch a new instance:

    • AMI: Ubuntu Server 22.04 LTS
    • Instance type: t3.small (2 GB RAM) or larger
    • Advanced Details → User data → paste the full script content

  3. Launch the instance. The script runs on first boot.

  4. Monitor progress over SSH:

      ssh ubuntu@<instance-ip> tail -f /var/log/rtcloud-setup.log

  5. Open port 8080 (or your configured APP_PORT) in the instance’s Security Group if you are not using a domain with Nginx.

  6. Access the app when setup completes.

Security Group Rules

PortProtocolSourcePurpose
22TCPYour IPSSH access
80TCP0.0.0.0/0HTTP (redirected to HTTPS by Nginx)
443TCP0.0.0.0/0HTTPS (when using a domain)
8080TCP0.0.0.0/0Direct app access (when not using a domain)

Google Cloud (GCP)

Use gcp-compute.sh as the startup script when creating a Compute Engine instance.

Steps

  1. Open the script and fill in the CONFIGURATION block at the top.

  2. In the Google Cloud Console, create a new VM instance:

    • Machine type: e2-small (2 GB RAM) or larger
    • Boot disk: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, 30 GB or more
    • Management → Automation → Startup script → paste the full script content
    • Networking → enable Allow HTTP traffic and Allow HTTPS traffic

  3. Create the VM. The startup script runs on first boot.

  4. Monitor progress:

      gcloud compute ssh <instance-name> -- tail -f /var/log/rtcloud-setup.log

  5. Access the app when setup completes.

Linode (Akamai Cloud)

Use linode-stackscript.sh as a StackScript when creating a Linode.

Steps

  1. In the Linode Manager, go to StackScripts → Create StackScript.

  2. Paste the full contents of linode-stackscript.sh and save it.

  3. Create a new Linode:

    • Image: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
    • StackScript: select the script you just created
    • Fill in the UDF fields shown in the UI (passwords, image tag, ports, domain)
    • Plan: Shared CPU 2 GB or larger

  4. Create the Linode. The script runs on first boot.

  5. Monitor progress:

      ssh root@<linode-ip> tail -f /var/log/stackscript.log

SSL / HTTPS Configuration

All four cloud scripts support two HTTPS modes:

Mode 1 — Let’s Encrypt (Recommended)

Provide a domain name in the script configuration. The script will:

  • Install Nginx as a reverse proxy
  • Obtain a free TLS certificate from Let’s Encrypt via Certbot
  • Configure automatic certificate renewal every 60 days
  • Redirect all HTTP traffic to HTTPS

Requirements:

  • A domain name with an A record pointing to your server’s public IP
  • Port 80 and 443 open to the internet (needed for the ACME challenge)

The Nginx reverse proxy forwards requests to the application on 127.0.0.1:8080, so the application port is not exposed directly.

Mode 2 — Custom Certificate

Provide base64-encoded PEM certificate and key in the script configuration. The script will:

  • Install Nginx with your supplied certificate
  • Configure HTTPS without contacting Let’s Encrypt

Use this when:

  • Your server cannot reach the internet
  • You have an internal CA or wildcard certificate
  • You are in a corporate environment with a managed PKI

Mode 3 — HTTP Only (No Domain)

Leave the domain field empty. The script will:

  • Skip Nginx and Let’s Encrypt entirely
  • Expose the application directly on APP_PORT (default 8080)
  • Use HTTP only

Use this for:

  • Internal network deployments where HTTPS is handled upstream
  • Development and evaluation environments
  • Air-gapped networks

Post-Deployment Checklist

After your server is up and running, complete these steps:

  • Log in to the web UI and change the admin password
  • Confirm all containers are healthy (docker compose ps)
  • Verify you can submit a test form from the mobile app
  • Set up a daily database backup cron job (see Maintenance)
  • Review firewall rules — MySQL port (3306) should never be exposed
  • If using Let’s Encrypt, verify auto-renewal: certbot renew --dry-run
Was this page helpful?