1. Prerequisites

  • Ubuntu server (tested on 20.04/22.04)
  • Root or sudo access
  • Domain name (optional, for HTTPS)

Install Required Packages

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

Install Node.js (LTS) & pnpm

# Install Node.js (replace 20.x with latest LTS if needed)
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs

# Install pnpm globally
npm install -g pnpm

2. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/gfaurobert/over-the-hill.git && cd over-the-hill

3. Install Dependencies

pnpm install

4. Build the App

pnpm build

5. Run the App in Production

Install pm2 (Process Manager)

npm install -g pm2

Start the App

pm2 start "pnpm start" --name over-the-hill

(Optional) Save pm2 Process List & Enable Startup on Boot

pm2 save
pm2 startup
# Follow the printed instructions to enable pm2 on boot

Check if Port 3000 is in Use

By default, Next.js runs on port 3000. To check if something is already using this port:

sudo lsof -i :3000
  • If you see output, port 3000 is in use. If there’s no output, it’s free.

Using a Different Port

If port 3000 is occupied, you can run your app on another port (e.g., 3001):

  1. Start the app on a different port:

    PORT=3001 pm2 start "pnpm start" --name hill-chart-generator

    (Replace 3001 with your chosen port.)

  2. Update the Nginx config below to match your chosen port.

Install Nginx

sudo apt install -y nginx

Configure Nginx

Replace yourdomain.com with your actual domain or server IP. Also, set the port to match your app (default is 3000, change if needed):

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name yourdomain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000; # Change 3000 if using a different port
        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;
    }
}
  • Save this as /etc/nginx/sites-available/over-the-hill
  • Enable it:
    sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/over-the-hill /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
  • Test the configuration
    sudo nginx -t
  • Enable the new configuration
    sudo systemctl reload nginx

(Optional) Enable HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt

sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
sudo ufw enable

8. Updating the App

cd over-the-hill
git pull
pnpm install
pnpm build
pm2 restart over-the-hill

9. Troubleshooting

  • Check pm2 logs: pm2 logs over-the-hill
  • Check Nginx: sudo journalctl -u nginx

10. References

Your app should now be live and production-ready!