Ruby on Rails

Ruby on Rails with Docker on Ubuntu 24.04 provides a modern, containerized development environment for building web applications. This one-click application includes the latest Rails framework, PostgreSQL database, and Nginx reverse proxy, all pre-configured and ready to use.

Features

• Ruby on Rails - Latest stable version with modern features
• Ruby 3.4.7 - Current stable Ruby version optimized for performance
• PostgreSQL 15 - Robust relational database with advanced features
• Docker & Docker Compose - Containerized environment for consistency and portability
• Nginx Reverse Proxy - High-performance web server with SSL support
• Multi-database Configuration - Separate databases for cache, queue, and cable operations
• Automatic SSL/TLS Setup - Ready for HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt integration
• SystemD Integration - Auto-start on boot with system service management
• UFW Firewall - Pre-configured security with essential ports open
• Loading Page UX - Professional loading interface during initial setup

Software Included

Creating an App using the Control Panel

Click the Deploy to DigitalOcean button to create a Droplet based on this 1-Click App. If you aren’t logged in, this link will prompt you to log in with your DigitalOcean account.

Creating an App using the API

In addition to creating a Droplet from the Ruby on Rails 1-Click App using the control panel, you can also use the DigitalOcean API. As an example, to create a 4GB Ruby on Rails Droplet in the SFO2 region, you can use the following curl command. You need to either save your API access token to an environment variable or substitute it in the command below.

curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
         -H 'Authorization: Bearer '$TOKEN'' -d \
        '{"name":"choose_a_name","region":"sfo2","size":"s-2vcpu-4gb","image":"rubyonrails-20-04"}' \
        "https://api.digitalocean.com/v2/droplets"

Getting Started After Deploying Ruby on Rails

Initial Setup

1. Create your Droplet with the Ruby on Rails one-click application
2. Wait 2-3 minutes for the automatic setup to complete
3. Visit your droplet’s IP address in a web browser
4. You’ll see a loading page while the application initializes
5. Once ready, you’ll be redirected to the Rails welcome page

Accessing Your Application

• Web Interface: http://your-droplet-ip/
• Direct Rails Access: http://your-droplet-ip:3000/ (if needed)
• SSH Access: ssh root@your-droplet-ip

Management Commands

All management scripts are located in /opt/rails-app/:

# Application management
/opt/rails-app/start.sh      # Start the application
/opt/rails-app/stop.sh       # Stop the application
/opt/rails-app/restart.sh    # Restart the application
/opt/rails-app/update.sh     # Update and rebuild containers
/opt/rails-app/logs.sh       # View application logs

Development Workflow

# Access the Rails container
cd /opt/rails-app
docker-compose exec web bash

# Generate new Rails components
docker-compose exec web bundle exec rails generate controller Welcome
docker-compose exec web bundle exec rails generate model User name:string

# Run database migrations
docker-compose exec web bundle exec rails db:migrate

# Access Rails console
docker-compose exec web bundle exec rails console

Technical Specifications

Software Stack

• Operating System: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• Ruby Version: 3.4.7
• Rails Version: 8.1.1
• Database: PostgreSQL 15
• Web Server: Nginx (reverse proxy) + Puma (application server)
• Containerization: Docker 24.x + Docker Compose

Architecture

┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐    ┌─────────────────┐
│     Nginx       │───▶│   Rails App     │───▶│   PostgreSQL    │
│  (Port 80/443)  │    │   (Port 3000)   │    │   (Port 5432)   │
│  Reverse Proxy  │    │  Puma Server    │    │    Database     │
└─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘    └─────────────────┘

Service Configuration

• Web Service: Rails application running on Puma
• Database Service: PostgreSQL with persistent storage
• Proxy Service: Nginx handling HTTP/HTTPS traffic
• System Service: Automatic startup via systemd

Security Features

• UFW Firewall: Configured with essential ports only
• SSH Rate Limiting: Protection against brute force attacks
• Container Isolation: Services run in separate Docker containers
• User Permissions: Non-root user for Rails application
• SSL Ready: Pre-configured for HTTPS with certificate automation