Automating My Portfolio Deployment with GitHub Actions

Building a Next.js application on a memory-constrained VPS was becoming a nightmare. Every time I wanted to add a blog post or make a small change, the build process would eat up all available RAM and sometimes crash the server. Here's how I solved it with GitHub Actions.

The Problem

My Oracle Cloud (OCI) VPS has limited resources:

• ARM64 Ampere processor
• Shared resources with portfolio and other services
• Multiple services running (Nginx Proxy Manager, Sentry Webhook, etc.)

Next.js builds are memory-hungry, requiring 2-4GB during compilation. Running npm run build would:

• Max out memory
• Trigger OOM (Out of Memory) killer
• Sometimes crash other services
• Take 6+ minutes if it succeeded

The Solution

Instead of building on my VPS, I offloaded the heavy lifting to GitHub's infrastructure:

Architecture Overview

Local Changes → GitHub → GitHub Actions Build → Docker Hub → VPS Deploy

1. Make changes on the VPS or locally
2. Push to GitHub - triggers the workflow
3. GitHub Actions builds the Docker image (on their servers!)
4. Push to Docker Hub - stores the built image
5. Auto-deploy to VPS - pulls and restarts the container

Implementation Steps

1️⃣ Created Build Script with Swap Management

For local builds when needed:

#!/bin/bash
# Temporarily adds 4GB swap, builds, then cleans up
sudo /opt/portfolio/build-with-swap.sh

This prevents VPS crashes during manual builds.

2️⃣ Set Up GitHub Actions Workflow

Created .github/workflows/build-and-deploy.yml:

• Builds on GitHub's servers (not my VPS)
• Uses Docker BuildKit with caching
• Pushes image to Docker Hub
• SSHs to VPS and deploys

3️⃣ Implemented Secure Deployment

Instead of using root for deployments, created a dedicated deployer user:

sudo /opt/portfolio/create-deploy-user.sh

Security benefits:

• Limited to Docker commands only
• Can't modify system files
• Follows principle of least privilege
• Separate SSH key for automation

4️⃣ Configured Docker Hub

Made the Docker image private while keeping the GitHub repo public:

• Recruiters can see my code on GitHub
• Random users can't pull my Docker image
• Best of both worlds!

The New Workflow

Adding a blog post is now simple:

cd /opt/portfolio
nano content/blog/my-new-post.mdx
git add .
git commit -m "Add blog post about automation"
git push

Then:

1. Wait 5-10 minutes
2. ☕ Grab coffee
3. Site auto-updates!

No more:

• Manual builds
• Memory issues
• Server crashes
• Babysitting deployments

Results

Before:

• Build time: 6+ minutes (if successful)
• Success rate: ~70%
• Manual intervention: Required
• Stress level: High 😰

After:

• Build time: 5-10 minutes
• Success rate: 100%
• Manual intervention: None
• Stress level: Zero 😎

Lessons Learned

1. Offload heavy tasks: Don't build on resource-constrained servers
2. Automate everything: One push, automatic deployment
3. Security matters: Use dedicated users for automation
4. Free tier is powerful: GitHub Actions + Docker Hub = $0/month
5. Visibility vs Privacy: Keep code public, build artifacts private

Technical Stack

• CI/CD: GitHub Actions
• Container Registry: Docker Hub (private image)
• Deployment: SSH-based auto-deploy
• Build Environment: Node.js 18, Docker BuildKit
• Memory Management: Temporary swap for local builds

Future Improvements

Potential enhancements I'm considering:

• [ ] Add automated tests before deployment
• [ ] Implement blue-green deployments
• [ ] Add deployment notifications via Telegram
• [ ] Set up preview deployments for PRs
• [ ] Add performance monitoring

Final Thoughts

This setup has been a game-changer for my development workflow. I can now focus on creating content and improving features without worrying about infrastructure limitations.

The best part? Everything runs on free tiers:

• GitHub Actions: Unlimited for public repos
• Docker Hub: 1 free private repository
• No ongoing costs!

If you're running a portfolio or blog on a budget VPS, I highly recommend this approach. Your server will thank you! 🙏

---

Questions? Feel free to check out my portfolio repository to see the complete setup!

Auto-deployed via GitHub Actions