How to Deploy Forem on Rocky Linux VPS

This article provides a guide detailing how to deploy Forem on Rocky Linux VPS.

What is Forem?

Forem is a robust, open-source platform for building communities like DEV.to. Deploying it on Rocky Linux involves setting up dependencies like PostgreSQL, Redis, Elasticsearch, and configuring Rails with a production-ready environment.

✅ Tested on Rocky Linux 8/9 (x86_64)
💡 Recommended VPS Specs: 2+ vCPU, 4GB+ RAM, 40GB+ disk, Rocky Linux 8 or Rocky Linux 9

How to Deploy Forem on Rocky Linux VPS

To deploy Forem on Rocky Linux VPS, follow the steps below:

1. Update and Prepare System

   Login as root via SSH and run the following commands:

   sudo dnf update -y
   sudo dnf install -y epel-release nano
   sudo dnf install -y gcc make zlib-devel openssl-devel libyaml-devel readline-devel python36 python3-pip python3-setuptools
   sudo dnf groupinstall -y "Development Tools"
   

2. Install Ruby

   git clone https://github.com/rbenv/rbenv.git ~/.rbenv
   echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.rbenv/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
   echo 'eval "$(rbenv init -)"' >> ~/.bashrc
   source ~/.bashrc
   git clone https://github.com/rbenv/ruby-build.git ~/.rbenv/plugins/ruby-build
   rbenv install 3.2.2
   rbenv global 3.2.2
   gem install bundler
   gem install rails
   

3. Install Required Dependencies

   Install core libraries and tools:

   sudo dnf install -y curl git wget nodejs gcc-c++ patch \
     readline readline-devel zlib zlib-devel \
     libyaml-devel libffi-devel openssl-devel make \
     bzip2 autoconf automake libtool bison sqlite-devel \
     ImageMagick ImageMagick-devel libxslt libxslt-devel libxml2 libxml2-devel
   

4. Install Docker and Docker Compose

   # Install Docker
   sudo dnf config-manager --add-repo https://download.docker.com/linux/centos/docker-ce.repo
   sudo dnf install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io
   
   # Enable and start Docker
   sudo systemctl enable --now docker
   
   # Add user to docker group
   sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
   

   🚪 Log out and back in for group change to take effect.

   Install Docker Compose:

   sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/v2.24.1/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
   sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
   

5. Clone the Forem Repository

   git clone https://github.com/forem/selfhost.git
   cd selfhost
   

   Switch to stable branch:

   git checkout main
   

6. Configure Docker Environment

   Create a .env file:

   ./setup
   

   Edit the .env file to suit your setup:

   nano .env
   

   Update important variables:

   RAILS_ENV=production
   APP_DOMAIN=yourdomain.com
   SECRET_KEY_BASE=generate_this_soon
   

7. Generate SECRET_KEY_BASE

   docker run --rm forem/rails bin/rake secret
   

   Copy the output and paste it into .env as SECRET_KEY_BASE.

8. Launch Forem Using Docker Compose

   docker-compose up -d
   

   This will set up:

   • Rails app
   • PostgreSQL
   • Redis
   • Sidekiq
   • Elasticsearch
   • Fastly stub

   📝 Check logs with:
   docker-compose logs -f

9. Setup Database and Assets

   Run the following to create and seed the database:

   docker-compose run --rm web bin/rails db:setup
   docker-compose run --rm web bin/rails assets:precompile
   

10. Configure NGINX Reverse Proxy

    Install NGINX:

    sudo dnf install -y nginx
    sudo systemctl enable --now nginx
    

    Configure SSL (optional but recommended with Certbot):

    sudo dnf install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
    sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com
    

    Configure /etc/nginx/conf.d/forem.conf:

    server {
        listen 80;
        server_name yourdomain.com;
    
        location / {
            proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
            proxy_set_header Host $host;
            proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
            proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
            proxy_http_version 1.1;
        }
    }
    

    Reload NGINX:

    sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx
    

11. Secure the Server

    Enable FirewallD

    sudo dnf install -y firewalld
    sudo systemctl enable --now firewalld
    sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
    sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
    sudo firewall-cmd --reload
    

12. Access Your Forem

    Visit: http://yourdomain.com
    You should see the Forem homepage. The first user you register becomes the admin.

Troubleshooting Tips

✅ Conclusion

You now know how to deploy Forem on Rocky Linux VPS using Docker and NGINX. You now have a powerful open-source community platform ready to go!