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Lessons Learned from Deploying My First Project on DigitalOcean

Authors
  • avatar
    Name
    Godbless Nyagawa (Njox)
    Twitter
    @njox16

🧠 Intro: From Tutorial Hell to Deployment Heaven

One thing I’ve learned in this dev game? Applying what you’ve learned hits different compared to binging tutorials. That’s how you escape tutorial hell and actually build something.

This post is a brain dump of lessons I picked up while deploying my first full-stack app on DigitalOcean — raw, real, and 100% from the trenches.

💡 Key Takeaways

1. Write Clean, Optimized Code — For Real

Messy code = painful deployments. I learned real quick that clean code means:

  • Clear structure
  • No unused dependencies
  • Lean, maintainable logic

Don’t hoard dead code. Delete what you’re not using. Seriously — your server will thank you.

2. Vim Is Your Terminal BFF

No VSCode on a server, no drag-and-drop — just terminal. That’s where Vim comes in.

Here’s the cheat sheet I lived by:

# Navigation
w, b, gg, G

# Editing
i, a, dd, yy, p

# Visual mode, splits, and customizations
.vimrc → personalize your dev flow

If you’re working on Linux, learn Vim. No way around it. Jifunze vizuri.

3. Learn Basic Networking (It’s Not Optional)

You don’t care about DNS… until your site won’t load.

Understand this:

A record       → points your domain to the server
CNAME          → alias for another domain
DNS propagation → takes up to 48 hrs (be patient)
dig / nslookup → debug domain issues

Skip this stuff and you’ll panic when things break. Learn it early.

4. Linux CLI Tools: Get Your Hands Dirty

You’ll live in the terminal. These are your essentials:

systemctl      → manage services (start, stop, restart)
ssh            → remote login
pm2            → keep Node.js apps alive
journalctl     → read logs like a boss

Also know your way around cd, ls, chmod, chown, and bash scripting. Real sysadmin energy. ⚡

5. NGINX Is a Straight-Up Beast

I used to think NGINX was just for static files. Nah, it’s a whole world.

Reverse proxy    → route traffic to different services
SSL termination  → serve HTTPS with Let's Encrypt
Caching & gzip   → optimize performance
Load balancing   → scale like a pro

Once you understand server blocks, you're no longer a rookie.

6. curl > Postman (Sometimes)

Postman is great, but when you're on a server?

curl https://api.com                    # GET
curl -X POST -d "key=value" https://…  # POST
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer xyz"    # Headers

curl is fast, native, and perfect for quick API tests — no GUI needed.

7. Use scp to Move Fast and Save Space

Running out of server space? Don’t upload files manually — use scp.

# Local → Remote
scp myfile.zip root@your-server:/home/myfolder

# Remote → Local
scp root@your-server:/var/log/nginx/error.log .

Simple, efficient, secure. Just works. man page

🎯 What I’m Learning Next: Level-Up Roadmap

This project opened my eyes. Here’s where I’m leveling up next:

🔧 Linux & System Admin

  • File permissions: chmod, chown
  • Process control: top, kill, htop
  • Cron jobs & automation
  • User + group management

🌐 Deep-Dive NGINX

  • Advanced reverse proxy configs
  • Caching layers + gzip compression
  • Load balancing & failover setups

🚀 DevOps & CI/CD

  • GitHub Actions for automated deploys
  • Docker + Docker Compose
  • Jenkins / GitLab CI pipelines
  • Deployment workflows (auto, rollback, health checks)

☁️ Cloud Game Strong

  • AWS / GCP / Azure basics
  • EC2, S3, IAM, VPC
  • Serverless (Lambda, Firebase Functions)
  • Cloud cost optimization

🎓 Certifications I'm Eyeing

  • Google IT Support
  • Google Cloud Digital Leader
  • Cloud Fundamentals

✅ Final Thoughts

This deployment journey humbled me and hyped me up all at once.

Let’s keep going. 🚀

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