CapRover is an open-source and free web application management platform that functions as a Platform as a Service (PaaS). This powerful tool allows developers and system administrators to easily deploy and manage their Docker applications on Linux servers with just a few clicks.
Key Features of CapRover:
- Easy Installation and Setup: CapRover can be installed on any Linux server within minutes.
- Web-based Graphical User Interface: Manage applications through a user-friendly and responsive web panel.
- Based on Docker Swarm: Utilizes Docker Swarm capabilities for scalability and container management.
- Automated Domain and SSL Management: Automatic configuration and updating of SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt.
- Support for Various Deployment Methods: Including CICD, Dockerfile, Git hook, Docker image, and more.
- One-Click Apps: A collection of pre-configured applications for quick installation.
Advantages of Using CapRover:
- Ease of Deployment and Management
CapRover simplifies the complex process of deploying Docker applications into a quick and easy experience. Using the graphical interface, even those with limited technical knowledge can manage their applications. - Scalability and Reliability
Using Docker Swarm, CapRover provides high scalability and reliability for your applications. You can easily adjust the number of replicas for each application. - Security and Optimization
CapRover automatically manages SSL certificates and provides advanced Nginx configuration options for each application. It also allows restricting access to the management panel from specific IPs. - Monitoring and Logging
Using the NetData service installed alongside CapRover, you can monitor system performance in real-time. You can also view logs for each container from within the panel. - Flexibility in Development and Deployment
CapRover supports various deployment methods, including direct deployment from Git repositories, using Dockerfiles, or using existing Docker images. This flexibility makes it suitable for various projects and development teams.
Installation and Setup of CapRover:
To install CapRover on an Ubuntu 22.04 server, follow these steps:
- Prepare the server:
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install curl git -y- Install Docker:
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER- Configure firewall:
sudo ufw allow 80,443,3000,996,7946,4789,2377/tcp
sudo ufw allow 7946,4789,2377/udp- Install CapRover:
docker run -p 80:80 -p 443:443 -p 3000:3000 -e ACCEPTED_TERMS=true -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v /captain:/captain caprover/caprover- Access the management panel:
After installation, you can access the management panel by visiting http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:3000 and using the default password “captain42”.
Conclusion :
CapRover is a powerful yet simple solution for managing and deploying web applications. By combining the power of Docker with the simplicity of a graphical user interface, this platform greatly facilitates the development and deployment process for small to medium-sized teams. Given its diverse features and active developer community, CapRover can be an excellent choice for various projects.
Personal Note 😊:
I have worked with CapRover operationally in production deployment environments for about 4 years. If you feel that Kubernetes is a costly choice for your business and you don’t want the hassles of deploying on Docker Compose, and your project doesn’t exceed about 20 containers on a single server, I recommend using CapRover. This platform will likely meet your needs for a long time, although eventually, after scaling up, you may need to migrate to heavier platforms and expand your DevOps team.
Some experts may not be familiar with such platforms and typically suggest what they have previous experience with and feel is more general and universal, which can sometimes create heavy costs without the employer being aware of simpler solutions. Most businesses need consultation to ensure that their experts are recommending technologies appropriate to the company’s budget and business capacity.
This approach can significantly reduce your costs compared to implementing complex servers and can be the best and most cost-effective option for your staging environments and sometimes production for a long time.
Overall, if you need advice on technical matters, or if you’ve started using it but encountered bugs, feel free to contact me, and I’d be honored to guide you. ❤️
Citations:
https://blog.logrocket.com/how-to-set-up-your-own-paas-with-caprover
https://caprover.com/docs/troubleshooting.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d2U8tRBFyM
https://caprover.com
https://github.com/CapRover/CapRover
https://stackshare.io/caprover
https://www.flagsmith.com/podcast/caprover
