Epic: Torrust Tracker Deployer Blog Post Series

[josecelano]

Overview

This epic tracks a series of blog posts about the Torrust Tracker Deployer tool - a deployment tool that allows users to easily deploy the Torrust Tracker.

We already published an introductory post about this tool: Introducing the Torrust Tracker Deployer

With the upcoming release of version 0.1.0, we want to create a comprehensive series of articles to help users understand, deploy, and get the most out of this tool.

Repository: https://github.com/torrust/torrust-tracker-deployer

Planned Blog Posts

1. Torrust Tracker Deployer v0.1.0 Beta Release

Announcing the first beta release of the deployer tool. This article will:

• Describe the general features of the tool
• Provide usage examples and getting started guide
• Request feedback from the community
• Encourage users to try it out and report issues on GitHub

2. Deploy Torrust Tracker Using GitHub Codespaces

A user-friendly guide on deploying the Torrust Tracker without installing the deployer locally by using GitHub Codespaces. This article will cover:

• How to use devcontainers with all dependencies pre-installed
• Step-by-step instructions for deploying to Hetzner cloud
• Limitations: works only for Hetzner deployment (not local, due to virtualization restrictions in containers)
• Security considerations: credential sharing with the VM and how to rotate them after deployment
• Using GitHub Copilot agent to assist with the deployment process (for Copilot subscribers)
• User-friendly walkthrough based on the technical details from issue #328

3. Advanced Deployer Usage: Custom Servers and Configuration Generation

For advanced users who want more flexibility and customization. This article will explore:

Using Your Own Server (Register Command):

• Skip the provisioning phase and use the deployer with your existing server
• How to register your environment using SSH keys
• Deploy to any provider or OS of your choice
• Complete the installation workflow as if it were fully provisioned by the deployer

Generating Docker Compose Configurations (Render Command):

• Use the deployer's configuration without using it for deployment
• Generate the final config files needed to run the tracker with docker-compose
• Manual deployment with the same production-ready setup (monitoring, backups, Grafana metrics, automatic HTTPS certificates)

Both approaches expand the deployer's reach beyond the standard one-minute full deployment workflow, enabling advanced users to customize their setup while still benefiting from the deployer's battle-tested configuration.

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Notes

Each blog post in this series will be tracked as a sub-issue under this epic. Sub-issues will be created as we prepare to write and publish each article.