Posted 3 weeks ago by Vanessa

CapRover is a powerful, self-hosted Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) that makes deploying applications incredibly simple. Combined with RamNode’s reliable and affordable VPS hosting, you get a robust deployment solution that rivals expensive cloud platforms. In this guide, we’ll walk through the entire process of setting up CapRover on a RamNode VPS and deploying your first application.

Why Choose CapRover + RamNode?

CapRover Benefits:

  • One-click app deployments
  • Automatic SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt
  • Built-in load balancer and reverse proxy
  • Docker-based containerization
  • Easy database management
  • Zero-downtime deployments

RamNode Advantages:

  • Competitive pricing with excellent performance
  • Multiple data center locations
  • SSD and NVMe storage and high-speed networking
  • Reliable uptime and support
  • Flexible configurations

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have:

  • A RamNode VPS with at least 1GB RAM (2GB+ recommended)
  • Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS installed
  • A domain name pointing to your VPS IP
  • SSH access to your server
  • Basic command line knowledge

Setting Up Your RamNode VPS

Initial Server Configuration

First, connect to your RamNode VPS via SSH:

ssh root@your-server-ip

Update your system packages:

apt update && apt upgrade -y

Create a Non-Root User (Optional but Recommended)

adduser caprover
usermod -aG sudo caprover
su - caprover

Configure Firewall

Install and configure UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall):

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Installing Docker

CapRover requires Docker to function. Install Docker using the official installation script:

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh

Add your user to the docker group:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Log out and back in for the changes to take effect, then verify Docker is working:

docker --version
docker run hello-world

Installing CapRover

Install CapRover Server

Run the CapRover installation command:

docker run -p 80:80 -p 443:443 -p 3000:3000 -d \
    --name captain-captain \
    --restart=unless-stopped \
    -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
    -v /captain:/captain \
    caprover/caprover

Initial Setup

Wait for the container to start (about 30 seconds), then access CapRover at:

http://your-domain.com:3000

The default password is captain42. You’ll be prompted to change this immediately.

Configure Root Domain

During the initial setup, you’ll need to:

  1. Set your root domain (e.g., yourdomain.com)
  2. Configure your email for Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates
  3. Change the default password

Installing CapRover CLI

On your local machine, install the CapRover CLI tool:

npm install -g caprover

If you don’t have Node.js installed, you can download it from nodejs.org.

Connecting to Your CapRover Instance

From your local machine, connect to your CapRover server:

caprover serversetup

Enter the following information when prompted:

  • Setup a new CapRover server: Yes
  • IP address of server: Your RamNode VPS IP
  • CapRover server URL: https://captain.yourdomain.com
  • New CapRover name: Choose a memorable name
  • CapRover server password: The password you set earlier

Deploying Your First Application

Prepare Your Application

For this example, we’ll deploy a simple Node.js application. Create a package.json file:

{
  "name": "my-caprover-app",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "description": "Sample CapRover application",
  "main": "app.js",
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node app.js"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "express": "^4.18.0"
  }
}

Create an app.js file:

const express = require('express');
const app = express();
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;

app.get('/', (req, res) => {
    res.send('Hello from CapRover on RamNode!');
});

app.listen(PORT, () => {
    console.log(`Server running on port ${PORT}`);
});

Create a captain-definition file (this tells CapRover how to build your app):

{
    "schemaVersion": 2,
    "dockerfilePath": "./Dockerfile"
}

Create a Dockerfile:

FROM node:16-alpine
WORKDIR /app
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install --production
COPY . .
EXPOSE 3000
CMD ["npm", "start"]

Deploy the Application

Initialize your app for CapRover:

caprover deploy

Follow the prompts:

  • Select your CapRover server
  • Enter your app name (e.g., my-first-app)
  • Choose whether to create the app if it doesn’t exist

Your application will be built and deployed automatically!

Configuring Your Application

Access the CapRover Dashboard

Visit https://captain.yourdomain.com and log in to access the web interface.

Configure App Settings

In the dashboard, you can:

  • Set environment variables
  • Configure custom domains
  • Enable SSL certificates
  • Set up persistent storage
  • View logs and metrics

Set Up Custom Domain

  1. Go to Apps → Your App Name
  2. Click on “HTTP Settings”
  3. Add your custom domain
  4. Enable HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt
  5. Force HTTPS redirection

Advanced Configuration

Setting Up Databases

CapRover includes one-click apps for popular databases:

  1. Go to “One-Click Apps/Databases”
  2. Select your database (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.)
  3. Configure and deploy
  4. Connect your application using the provided connection details

Environment Variables

Set environment variables in your app’s settings:

NODE_ENV=production
DATABASE_URL=your-database-connection-string
API_KEY=your-secret-key

Persistent Storage

For applications that need to store files:

  1. Go to your app’s settings
  2. Click “App Configs”
  3. Add persistent directories under “Persistent Directories”

Monitoring and Maintenance

Viewing Logs

Monitor your application through the CapRover dashboard:

  • Real-time logs
  • Application metrics
  • Resource usage

Backup Strategy

Set up regular backups:

  • Database dumps
  • Application data
  • CapRover configuration

Updates

Keep your system updated:

# Update CapRover
docker service update captain-captain --image caprover/caprover:latest

# Update system packages
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: Can’t Connect to CapRover Dashboard

Solution:

  • Check if the container is running: docker ps
  • Verify firewall settings allow port 3000
  • Ensure DNS is properly configured

Issue: Deployment Fails

Solution:

  • Check build logs in the CapRover dashboard
  • Verify Dockerfile syntax
  • Ensure all required files are included

Issue: SSL Certificate Problems

Solution:

  • Verify domain DNS points to your server
  • Check Let’s Encrypt rate limits
  • Try manual certificate renewal in dashboard

Security Best Practices

  1. Change Default Passwords: Always change default credentials
  2. Use SSH Keys: Disable password authentication for SSH
  3. Regular Updates: Keep system and Docker images updated
  4. Firewall Configuration: Only open necessary ports
  5. SSL Everywhere: Use HTTPS for all applications
  6. Backup Regularly: Implement automated backup strategies

Cost Optimization Tips for RamNode

  1. Right-size Your VPS: Start small and scale as needed
  2. Monitor Resource Usage: Use CapRover’s built-in monitoring
  3. Optimize Images: Use Alpine-based Docker images when possible
  4. Clean Up Unused Resources: Regularly remove old containers and images

Conclusion

Deploying applications with CapRover on a RamNode VPS provides an excellent balance of simplicity, performance, and cost-effectiveness. This setup gives you the power of enterprise-grade deployment tools without the complexity or expense of major cloud platforms.

With CapRover handling the deployment automation and RamNode providing reliable infrastructure, you can focus on what matters most: building great applications. The combination offers automatic SSL certificates, zero-downtime deployments, easy scaling, and comprehensive monitoring—all from an intuitive web interface.

Whether you’re deploying a simple web application or a complex microservices architecture, this setup will serve you well. Start with a basic RamNode VPS, grow your applications, and scale your infrastructure as your needs evolve.