Step 1: Update Your System

Before starting the installation, it’s important to update your Ubuntu 22.04 system to ensure that all software packages are up to date. Run the following commands:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This will help ensure that you are working with the latest security patches and software updates. Keeping your system updated is essential whether you’re hosting Helpy locally or on a UK Windows VPS.

Step 2: Install Required Dependencies

Helpy requires several dependencies, including Ruby, Node.js, PostgreSQL, and Redis. Install these dependencies by running the following commands:

sudo apt install ruby-full nodejs postgresql postgresql-contrib redis-server build-essential libpq-dev

These packages are necessary to set up the Helpy platform, whether you’re deploying it locally or on a Windows VPS hosting UK environment.

Step 3: Install Rails

Helpy is built on the Ruby on Rails framework, so you need to install Rails. First, install Bundler, a package manager for Ruby, with the following command:

sudo gem install bundler

Then, install Rails using the gem command:

sudo gem install rails -v 6.1.4

Rails is now installed and ready to be used in setting up Helpy. This installation is required whether you are hosting Helpy locally or on a VPS Windows Servers setup.

Step 4: Configure PostgreSQL

Helpy uses PostgreSQL as its database. To configure PostgreSQL, first log in to the PostgreSQL shell:

sudo -u postgres psql

Create a new database and user for Helpy:

CREATE DATABASE helpydb;
CREATE USER helpyuser WITH PASSWORD 'yourpassword';
ALTER ROLE helpyuser SET client_encoding TO 'utf8';
ALTER ROLE helpyuser SET default_transaction_isolation TO 'read committed';
ALTER ROLE helpyuser SET timezone TO 'UTC';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE helpydb TO helpyuser;
\q
            

This step ensures that PostgreSQL is configured to work with Helpy. It applies to both local and cloud environments, such as Windows VPS Italy.

Step 5: Download and Set Up Helpy

Next, you need to download the latest version of Helpy from GitHub. Navigate to your desired installation directory, for example /opt:

cd /opt

Clone the Helpy repository:

sudo git clone https://github.com/helpyio/helpy.git

Navigate into the Helpy directory and install the necessary dependencies using Bundler:

cd helpy
bundle install
            

Once the dependencies are installed, set up the Helpy database configuration:

sudo nano config/database.yml

Update the file with your PostgreSQL database credentials:

production:
  adapter: postgresql
  encoding: unicode
  database: helpydb
  pool: 5
  username: helpyuser
  password: yourpassword
  host: localhost
            

Save and close the file.

Step 6: Initialize the Database

After configuring the database, initialize it by running the following commands:

rails db:create RAILS_ENV=production
rails db:migrate RAILS_ENV=production
rails assets:precompile RAILS_ENV=production
            

These commands set up the Helpy database and prepare the application for production. Whether you’re using Helpy on a local server or hosting on a Windows Virtual Private Server hosting environment, this step is necessary.

Step 7: Start Helpy

You can now start Helpy using the Puma server, which is bundled with the Rails framework. Run the following command to start Helpy:

rails s -e production

Helpy will start running on the default port 3000. To access it, open your browser and navigate to:

http://your-server-ip:3000

This local deployment setup works whether you’re hosting Helpy on your system or a VPS Windows hosting platform.

Step 8: Configure Nginx as a Reverse Proxy

For production environments, it's recommended to use Nginx as a reverse proxy for Helpy. Create an Nginx configuration file for Helpy:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/helpy

Add the following configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-server-ip;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }

    location /assets/ {
        alias /opt/helpy/public/assets/;
    }
}
            

Save the file and enable the site:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/helpy /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
sudo systemctl restart nginx
            

Nginx is now configured as a reverse proxy for Helpy, providing a production-ready setup. This is suitable whether you are running Helpy locally or on a Windows VPS hosting UK platform.