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Mina deploys an application to a VPS by generating one Bash deployment script and running it through SSH. You prepare the server yourself, describe the repository and release settings in config/deploy.rb, run mina setup once to create Mina’s directory structure, and then use mina deploy to build and launch each release. The reliable workflow is: configure a least-privilege deploy user, install Git, Ruby, and Bundler, define dependencies and application-specific commands, then verify the process restart and web-server path.

What Mina does—and what it does not do

Mina is a Ruby deployment tool for an SSH-accessible server. Instead of opening a separate SSH session for every command, it queues the commands locally, renders them into a Bash script, and sends that script to the remote host. Mina then runs the script on the VPS.

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Each deployment follows a release model. Mina builds the application in a versioned release directory, keeps persistent files in a shared directory, and updates a current path when the release is ready to launch. If a deployment fails, Mina can execute its cleanup behavior rather than leaving a partially switched release active.

Mina is an execution and release tool, not a VPS provisioning or operations platform. You remain responsible for server hardening, SSH policy, the database service, TLS termination, backups, monitoring, and process supervision. Mina also does not decide how your application server is restarted; you provide that command or hook.

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Prerequisites on the VPS

The server must be properly configured before Mina can work. Complete these checks while logged in through SSH or through your normal server-provisioning process.

  • SSH access: confirm that your workstation can reach the VPS and authenticate with an SSH key.
  • A permitted deploy user: use a dedicated account with only the permissions needed to read the application repository, write the deploy path, run the application, and perform the configured restart. Avoid deploying as the root user.
  • Git: the remote host needs Git so Mina’s Git plugin can clone or update the repository.
  • Ruby and Bundler: install the Ruby version required by the application and a compatible Bundler version.
  • A version manager, when required: if the application depends on a Ruby version manager, install and initialize it for the deploy user so non-interactive SSH commands select the same Ruby as an interactive shell.
  • Application services: provide the database, cache, web server, and application process manager your application needs. Mina will not install or supervise these services for you.
  • Repository credentials: the deploy user must be able to fetch the repository, whether the repository is public or requires a deploy key or other Git authentication.

Test the important assumptions before writing a deployment task. As the deploy user, check that ssh reaches the host, git --version, ruby --version, and bundle --version return the expected programs, and that the repository can be cloned into a temporary location.

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Initialize Mina in the application repository

Run Mina from the application’s local Git checkout. The initializer creates config/deploy.rb, which becomes the single place where the server, repository, release path, plugins, and deployment task are described.

  1. Install Mina in the project’s development dependencies according to the version used by the application.
  2. From the repository root, run mina init.
  3. Open config/deploy.rb and replace the generated values with the real deploy user, VPS hostname, deploy path, and repository URL.
  4. Require only the plugins that match the stack, such as Git and Bundler for a Ruby application or the Rails plugin for a Rails application.
  5. Commit config/deploy.rb so every operator and environment uses the same deployment definition.

Build a working config/deploy.rb

The following is a minimal shape for a Ruby application. Replace the example values before deploying.

require 'mina/deploy'
require 'mina/git'
require 'mina/bundler'
# require 'mina/rails'  # Rails applications

set :user, 'deploy'
set :domain, 'your-vps.example'
set :deploy_to, '/var/www/myapp'
set :repository, 'git@github.com:example/myapp.git'

task :deploy do
  deploy do
    invoke :'git:clone'
    invoke :'bundle:install'
    on :launch do
      command %{touch tmp/restart.txt}
    end
  end
end

The restart example is deliberately generic. Touching tmp/restart.txt is useful only when the application server is configured to watch that file. Substitute the launch command or hook required by your process manager and application server.

Core settings

Setting Purpose What to verify
:user SSH and filesystem identity used for deployment The account exists, has the intended key, and can write the deploy path.
:domain Hostname or address of the VPS The name resolves from the deployment workstation and accepts the deploy user’s key.
:deploy_to Root directory for Mina’s shared, release, and current paths The parent location is suitable for the application and writable by the deploy user.
:repository Git source Mina fetches The remote host can authenticate to this repository.

Keep secrets out of the repository. Supply database credentials, API keys, and other environment-specific values through the server’s environment or protected shared files, then make the deployment task reference those values. The exact mechanism depends on your application and process manager.

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Define the deployment task in the right order

The deploy do block is the release recipe. A typical task performs source checkout, dependency installation, application preparation, and launch. Make each step explicit; Mina will not infer migrations, asset compilation, or service restarts from the presence of a repository.

1. Fetch the source

invoke :'git:clone' tells Mina to create the release from the configured repository. Confirm that the branch or revision you intend to deploy is selected by the project’s Mina settings and Git workflow.

2. Install dependencies

invoke :'bundle:install' installs the Ruby dependencies declared by the application. Ensure the remote Ruby and Bundler versions satisfy the lockfile. If your application has JavaScript, system packages, or another dependency manager, add its installation command explicitly; Mina’s Bundler plugin does not install unrelated toolchains.

3. Run database migrations when needed

Rails applications commonly run migrations as part of deployment. Add the Rails plugin and its migration helper, or invoke the appropriate Rake command in a custom task. Decide whether migrations should run before the new release is launched and confirm that the deploy user can reach the production database. A failed migration should stop the release rather than silently launching code that expects a schema change.

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4. Compile assets when needed

Rails applications that serve compiled assets need an asset-precompile step. The Rails plugin provides Rails and Rake helpers, production-environment defaults, migration handling, and asset-precompile support. If your application uses a different asset tool, invoke that tool directly and verify that its output lands in the release directory or the configured shared location.

5. Launch or restart the application

Use on :launch for the final process action. This hook runs after Mina has prepared the release and is switching the current path. The command might signal an application server, restart a service through the process manager, or touch a restart file. Mina documents the hook mechanism but does not prescribe one universal server stack, so use the command appropriate to yours and test it independently.

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Run mina setup before the first deployment

From the local repository, run:

mina setup

Mina connects to the configured VPS and creates the directory structure under :deploy_to, including the locations used for shared files, releases, and the current path. Setup does not deploy application code; it prepares the destination for later releases.

Run setup again when you change the shared files or shared directories required by the application. Treat those settings as part of the server contract: a missing shared directory can make an otherwise successful build fail when the application starts.

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Deploy with mina deploy

Once the server and task are ready, run:

mina deploy

The operational sequence is:

  1. Mina reads the local deployment definition and queues its commands.
  2. It renders those commands into a temporary Bash deployment script.
  3. The script is sent through one SSH session and executed on the VPS.
  4. The Git plugin creates a new versioned release, and dependency, migration, and asset steps run inside that release.
  5. At launch, Mina updates the current path and executes the launch hook.
  6. Cleanup behavior removes or abandons an incomplete release if the deployment fails, according to Mina’s release handling.

Watch the command output for the first failing step. A green SSH connection does not prove that the application is serving traffic; after deployment, check the process manager, application logs, web-server response, and database connectivity.

Rails applications: a practical deployment recipe

For Rails, require mina/rails in addition to the deployment, Git, and Bundler plugins. The Rails plugin supplies Rails-aware defaults and helpers, including a production environment default, migration handling, and asset-precompile support.

A production Rails task normally includes these decisions:

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  • Install the locked Ruby gems with the Bundler plugin.
  • Make the production database URL and other credentials available to the remote process.
  • Run migrations in a controlled point in the release sequence.
  • Precompile assets when the application serves compiled assets.
  • Restart or reload the application server in the launch hook.

Do not assume that requiring the Rails plugin automatically performs every application operation. Read the task output and add explicit invocations for the migrations, assets, and launch behavior your application needs.

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Deploying non-Rails applications

Mina is not limited to Rails. Its default-plugin documentation describes deployments for static, JavaScript, PHP, and other applications. The pattern is the same: compose the plugins that fit the stack or write custom tasks for its build and launch commands.

For a non-Rails application, identify the complete runtime path before writing the task:

  • Which command installs dependencies?
  • Which build command produces deployable files?
  • Which directories must persist between releases?
  • Which migration or data-initialization command is required, if any?
  • Which process manager or service command launches the new release?

Then place those commands in the deployment block and keep the final service action in on :launch. A static site may need only Git checkout, a build step, and a web-server reload; a JavaScript service may need package installation, compilation, and a process-manager restart.

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Keep staging and production separate

Never point a staging task at the production path or branch. Use separate settings or tasks for each environment, including at least:

  • Deploy path: give each environment its own :deploy_to value so releases and shared files cannot overlap.
  • Branch: select the branch intended for that environment.
  • Application environment: set the appropriate Rails environment or equivalent runtime mode.
  • Credentials and services: use staging database, cache, domains, and secrets rather than production values.

The Mina cookbook pattern allows environment-specific tasks such as mina staging deploy and mina production deploy, with each task changing deploy_to, rails_env, and branch before invoking the common deployment recipe. Keep the shared recipe identical where possible, while making the environment-specific values obvious in version control.

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Shared files, releases, and the current path

Mina’s directory model separates immutable release content from persistent runtime data. A release receives a versioned directory. Shared files and directories hold items that must survive a new release, such as environment configuration, uploads, or other runtime state. The current path identifies the release that the launch process should serve.

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Before the first deployment, list every path your application writes to. Put persistent paths in the shared configuration and ensure the application references them consistently. If uploads or generated files are left inside a release directory, a later deployment can make them inaccessible or remove them during cleanup.

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Troubleshoot the common failure points

SSH authentication fails

Check the key used by the local Mina process, the deploy user’s authorized_keys, host-name resolution, and firewall rules. Test a direct SSH connection as the same local user who runs Mina. A successful login as another account does not validate the configured :user.

Git cannot clone the repository

Test repository access as the remote deploy user. For a private repository, install the required deploy key or configure the approved Git credential method for that account. Check that the configured repository URL and branch actually exist.

Ruby or Bundler is the wrong version

Non-interactive SSH sessions may not load the same shell initialization as an interactive login. Make the Ruby version manager available to Mina’s shell, then verify ruby --version and bundle --version in the deployment context. Resolve lockfile or native-extension errors before adding unrelated commands to the task.

The build succeeds but the site is unchanged

Inspect the launch hook. Confirm that Mina updated current, that the process manager points to that path, and that the restart or reload command actually ran. Also check the web server’s upstream target and application logs; a completed release does not guarantee that a running process reloaded it.

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A migration or asset step fails

Read the first failing command, then verify environment variables, database reachability, filesystem permissions, and the installed toolchain. Keep migrations and asset compilation explicit so a missing prerequisite stops the deployment visibly instead of producing an incomplete release.

Setup reports a missing directory

Review shared-file and shared-directory settings, then run mina setup again. Confirm that the deploy user can create those paths under :deploy_to.

Mina compared with ad-hoc SSH scripts

Concern Mina’s approach Operational implication
Server preparation Assumes a configured VPS, deploy user, Git, Ruby, Bundler, and application services. You must provision, harden, and maintain the server separately.
Command execution Generates one remote Bash deployment script and runs it through SSH. The build and launch sequence is visible as one ordered operation with less connection overhead.
Release handling Uses versioned releases, a shared directory, and a current path. Persistent files can survive releases while the active release changes atomically at launch.
Framework support Provides a Rails plugin and supports custom tasks for other stacks. Rails conventions are available, but non-Rails build and launch commands remain your responsibility.
Environment control Supports separate tasks and settings for branches, paths, and runtime environments. Staging and production can be isolated when you define those values explicitly.
Operations ownership Does not provision the VPS or replace monitoring, backups, TLS, databases, or process supervision. Those services need their own configuration, testing, and incident procedures.

Pre-deployment checklist

  • The deploy user can authenticate by SSH and write only the intended application paths.
  • Git, the required Ruby version, Bundler, and any version manager are available to non-interactive SSH commands.
  • The repository URL and branch are correct, and the remote host can fetch them.
  • :user, :domain, :deploy_to, and :repository are set in config/deploy.rb.
  • The required Mina plugins are loaded.
  • mina setup has created the shared, release, and current structure.
  • Dependency installation, migrations, asset compilation, and launch behavior are explicit in the deploy task.
  • Environment variables and shared files exist before the application starts.
  • The process manager or application server restart command has been tested independently.
  • Staging and production use distinct paths, branches, runtime environments, credentials, and services.
  • After deployment, you have checked logs, the process state, the web-server response, and database connectivity.

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