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The current Ruby on Rails Guides deployment walkthrough uses Kamal: build the app’s production Docker image, configure a Linux VPS and container registry, then run bin/kamal setup for the first deployment and bin/kamal deploy for later releases. You still need to choose and operate the database, protect secrets, point your domain at the server, and plan backups and recovery.
What you need before deploying
The Rails Guides’ Kamal example uses an Ubuntu LTS VPS with at least 1 GB of RAM, SSH access, and a Docker Hub account and token for the application image. That memory figure is the guide’s starting example—not a universal production recommendation. Your application’s traffic, database, background workers, and deployment process all affect the resources it needs. The guide names Hetzner and DigitalOcean as provider examples, not as a ranking. See the Rails Guides: Getting Started with Rails.
- A working Rails application with its production Dockerfile.
- An Ubuntu LTS VPS you can reach over SSH.
- A container registry repository and credentials. The walkthrough uses Docker Hub and a token with read/write permissions; Kamal can also be configured for other registry hosts.
- A plan for production secrets, database placement, persistent uploads if your app uses them, and backups.
- A domain name if you want visitors to reach the app through a hostname and HTTPS.
How Kamal deployment works
Kamal packages the application as a Docker image, pushes it to a registry, and deploys containers to the configured server. In the Rails 8 launch architecture, the production Dockerfile includes Thruster in front of Puma, while Kamal Proxy routes traffic and supports zero-downtime deployments and automated Let’s Encrypt certificates. These are Rails 8 launch details; check the current guide and configuration for the versions you are deploying. See the Rails 8.0 announcement and Rails 8.0 release notes.
Deploy the app with Kamal
1. Provision the server and verify SSH access
Create an Ubuntu LTS VPS and arrange SSH access for the account used to deploy. The Rails walkthrough’s example starts at 1 GB RAM or more; select capacity for your own workload rather than treating that example as a sizing guarantee. Account for the app, database if colocated, background jobs, traffic, and the extra resources a deployment may need while replacing a running release.
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2. Create the image repository and registry token
Create a repository at your chosen container registry. For the Docker Hub path in the Rails walkthrough, create a token with permission to push and retrieve images. Keep the token private; do not put it in source control or commit it in config/deploy.yml.
3. Configure the service, image, and server
Edit config/deploy.yml to set the service and image names, the target server address, and the registry username. The server IP in the deployment configuration must identify the VPS Kamal should reach. Use the current Kamal documentation to confirm configuration options for your installed version.
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4. Supply secrets outside committed configuration
Provide the registry password as KAMAL_REGISTRY_PASSWORD and make the Rails application’s RAILS_MASTER_KEY available to the deployment as required. Do not paste secret values into a committed configuration file, logs, or a public issue. Kamal documents these deployment inputs in its documentation.
5. Point the domain and enable HTTPS, if you use a domain
Create DNS records that point the hostname to the VPS, then configure the Kamal proxy with that hostname and SSL enabled. The Rails walkthrough says Kamal uses Let’s Encrypt to issue the certificate once DNS points to the server. Allow DNS changes to take effect and confirm the hostname resolves to the intended server before troubleshooting certificate issuance.
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6. Run the initial setup and deploy
- From the Rails application directory, run
bin/kamal setupfor the first deployment. This performs the initial server setup and deployment using the configured image, server, registry, and secrets. - For subsequent releases, run
bin/kamal deploy. - Open the deployed site over the configured hostname and HTTPS, if enabled. The Rails walkthrough also documents
bin/kamal consolefor a remote Rails console; restrict access to production console sessions.
Verify the parts that Kamal setup does not decide for you
A successful deployment does not establish that every production dependency is configured or recoverable. Work through the checks that apply to your app:
- Database: confirm the app can connect, the intended database is in use, and migrations complete safely. Decide whether the database lives on this VPS, a separate server, or a managed service based on operational burden, network dependency, cost, and recovery needs.
- Background work: verify any job workers and scheduled tasks your application relies on.
- Files and mail: test uploaded-file persistence and outbound email if the app uses either. A container deployment does not by itself settle where user uploads should live.
- Backups and recovery: choose what to back up, where copies are kept, and how you will restore them. Test restoration rather than assuming a server snapshot or a successful deploy is sufficient.
- Operations: arrange security updates, secret rotation, log and error review, monitoring, and a rollback or recovery process. The appropriate tools, retention, and recovery objectives depend on the app and provider.
When a manual Puma setup makes sense
You can install and run Puma directly on the host instead of using the documented Kamal/Docker route. Puma’s upstream documentation describes systemd as a common Linux service manager that can monitor Puma and restart it, and includes a sample service unit. That solves process supervision, not the full deployment: you must also maintain a versioned Ruby and application installation, secrets and environment, reverse proxy and TLS, database, assets, release and migration strategy, logs, backups, and rollback. See Puma’s systemd documentation.
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Choose a VPS and database setup for your workload
The Rails deployment walkthrough does not compare VPS providers or prescribe a database topology. Compare providers and plans using current details, including region, CPU and memory, storage, included networking, backup or snapshot terms, support, and total recurring cost. For the database, weigh the lower operational separation of colocating it against the network dependency and added service or server cost of keeping it elsewhere. Base the choice on workload and recovery needs; there is no one topology established as best for every Rails app.
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