Automate Your Way to Successful Django Deployments: A Guide to GitHub Actions CI/CD

On Your Local Machine, Open Your Project using VS Code or any Editor

1. Create A Folder named .scripts inside your root project folder e.g. demo/.scripts.
2. Inside .scripts folder Create A file with .sh extension e.g. demo/.scripts/deploy.sh.
3. Write the below script inside the created .sh file:

#!/bin/bash
set -e

echo "Deployment started ..."

# Pull the latest version of the app
git pull origin main
echo "New changes copied to server !"

# Activate Virtual Env
source ../venv/bin/activate
echo "Virtual env 'venv' Activated !"

echo "Installing Dependencies..."
pip install -r requirements.txt --no-input

echo "Serving Static Files..."
python manage.py collectstatic --noinput

echo "Running Database migration"
python manage.py makemigrations
python manage.py migrate

# Deactivate Virtual Env
deactivate
echo "Virtual env 'venv' Deactivated !"

# Reloading Application So New Changes could reflect on website
pushd elitesync
touch wsgi.py
popd

echo "Deployment Finished!"

4. Go inside the .scripts Folder then Set File Permission for .sh File:

git update-index --add --chmod=+x deploy.sh

5. Create a Directory Path named .github/workflows inside your root project folder e.g. demo/.github/workflows.
6. Inside the workflows folder Create A file with a .yml extension e.g. demo/.github/workflows/deploy.yml.
7. Write the below script inside the created .yml file:

name: Deploy

# Trigger the workflow on push and
# pull request events on the master branch
on:
  push:
    branches: ["main"]
  pull_request:
    branches: ["main"]

# Authenticate to the server via SSH
# and run our deployment script
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Deploy to Server
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@master
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.USERNAME }}
          port: ${{ secrets.PORT }}
          key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
          script: "cd /var/www/html/demo && ./.scripts/deploy.sh"

8. Go to Your Github Repo Click on Settings.
9. Click on Secrets and Variables from the Sidebar then choose Actions.
10. On the Secret Tab, Click on New Repository Secret.
11. Add Four Secrets HOST, PORT, USERNAME, and SSHKEY as below:
    • Name: HOST
      Secret: Your_Server_IP
    • Name: PORT
      Secret: Your_Server_PORT
    • Name: USERNAME
      Secret: Your_Server_User_Name
12. You can get the Server User Name by logging into your server via ssh and then run the below command:

whoami

13. Generate SSH Key for Github Action by Login into the Remote Server then run the below Command OR You can use the old SSH Key But I am creating a New one for GitHub Action:

Syntax:- ssh-keygen -f key_path -t ed25519 -C "your_email@example.com"
Example:- ssh-keygen -f /home/ubuntu/.ssh/gitaction_ed25519 -t ed25519 -C "gitactionautodep"

14. Open Newly Created Public SSH Keys then copy the key:

cat ~/.ssh/gitaction_ed25519.pub

15. Open the authorized_keys File which is inside .ssh/authorized_keys then paste the copied key in a new line:

cd .ssh
nano authorized_keys

16. Open Newly Created Private SSH Keys then copy the key, we will use this key to add a New Repository Secret On the GitHub Repo:

cat ~/.ssh/gitaction_ed44856

17. Name: SSH_KEY
    Secret: Private_SSH_KEY_Generated_On_Server
18. Commit and Push the change to Your Github Repo.
19. Get Access to the Remote Server via SSH:

ssh -p PORT USERNAME@HOSTIP

20. Go to Your Project Directory:

cd /var/www/html/demo

21. Pull the changes from GitHub just once this time:

git pull

22. Your Deployment should become automated.
23. On Local Machine make some changes in Your Project then Commit and Push to Github Repo. It will automatically be deployed on Live Server.
24. You can track your action from GitHub Actions Tab.
25. If you get any File Permission error in the action, then you have to change file permission accordingly.

All Done!