Setting up Digital Ocean and Forge for a GitHub Project

Forge

Forge is a way to build and deploy servers very quickly and efficiently You can sign up here. It gives you the ability to quick deploy and manage your server and source control from one place.

Digital Ocean

Digital Ocean is required to create your servers on. This is what Forge will connect to and where the Servers are hosted. An account is required for this process. You are looking at about $5 a month but if you would like 2 free months then use this link. Also gives me a cheeky couple of months.

Lets Start

Sign into Forge and click on your name in the top right and My Account, click on the Source Control Tab and connect to the site you prefer and allow the site to authenticate. Go into Digital Ocean and sign in, if you haven't signed up use this link and then click on the API tab and get your Client ID. In Laravel Forge still in My Account and go onto Server Providers tab and Authenticate. Click here and create a server.

• Credentials - choose the one you just made
• Name - choose something memeorable
• Server Size - Select the lowest tier for now, and upgrade when required
• Region - where you highest user base is
• PHP Version - what your project is built on
• Database Name - leave as forge

Click create server. This is now on the web. you will receive an email with all your credentials on shortly. You will see an IP Address at the top of Forge or login to Digital Ocean and click on your server and you will see the same IP. Enter this into your address bar and you will be on your server. You can now buy a domain, i use Hover. Buy a domain and then click on the drop down called Your Account and go to Domains. Click on your new domain and go on the DNS tab and edit the @ and * and paste the IP Address from Forge into it. Now give it 5-10 minutes and visit that domain. It should remove the Hover splash to your server splash. Next post will be how to set up Lavavel from GitHub on your Server.