Deploy Next.js on DigitalOcean Droplet with SSL and Nginx

Deploying a Next.js application on a DigitalOcean Droplet involves a series of steps including server setup, configuring your application, and serving it using a process manager and web server. Below is a general guide on how to achieve this:

Step 1: Initial Droplet Setup

Create a Droplet:
- Log into your DigitalOcean account and create a new droplet.
- Choose an image (typically Debian or Ubuntu), and select your plan.
- Add SSH keys for security or set up a root password.
SSH into the Droplet:
```
ssh root@your_droplet_ip
```
Update System Packages:
```
apt update && apt upgrade -y
```

Install Node.js and NPM:

Recommended via NodeSource for LTS version:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | bash -
apt install -y nodejs

Step 2: Deploy Next.js Application

Clone App (or upload your code):
- Use Git or SCP to get your Next.js application onto the server.
```
git clone your_repo_url
cd your_repo_directory
```
Install Dependencies:
```
npm install
```
Build the Application:
- This compiles your Next.js application into a production build.
```
npm run build
```

Start the Application:

For basic setup, use:

npm run start

For production, it's recommended to use a process manager like PM2:

npm install -g pm2
pm2 start npm --name "your-app-name" -- start
pm2 save
pm2 startup # To start on system boot

Step 3: Setup Reverse Proxy with Nginx

Install Nginx:
```
apt install nginx -y
```

Configure Nginx:

Open a new Nginx configuration file for your site:
```
nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-site
```

Add the following configuration:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:3000;
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection 'upgrade';
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

Enable the Configuration:

ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-site /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
nginx -t # Test the Nginx configuration
systemctl restart nginx

Step 4: Secure Your App with SSL

Install Certbot:

apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx -y

Obtain SSL Certificate:
```
certbot --nginx -d your_domain.com
```
Auto-Renew SSL Certificate:
- Certbot will set up a cron job for this automatically, or you can verify it:
```
crontab -l
```

Conclusion