Deploy Tux on cloud platforms for managed infrastructure.

Overview

Cloud platforms offer:

• Managed infrastructure
• Automatic scaling
• Built-in monitoring
• Easy deployment
• Free tiers (some platforms)

Popular Platforms

Railway

Best for: Quick deployment with managed database

Pros:

• Free $5/month credit
• Managed PostgreSQL
• GitHub integration
• Automatic deploys
• Simple interface

Setup:

1. Fork Tux repository to your GitHub
2. Sign up at railway.app
3. Create new project from GitHub repo
4. Add PostgreSQL database service
5. Set environment variables:

bash BOT_TOKEN=your_token POSTGRES_HOST=${{Postgres.POSTGRES_HOST}} POSTGRES_DB=${{Postgres.POSTGRES_DB}} POSTGRES_USER=${{Postgres.POSTGRES_USER}} POSTGRES_PASSWORD=${{Postgres.POSTGRES_PASSWORD}}

1. Deploy!

DigitalOcean App Platform

Best for: Managed deployment with more control

Pricing: Starts at $5/month

Setup:

1. Create app from GitHub repository
2. Add managed PostgreSQL database
3. Configure environment variables
4. Set build command: uv sync
5. Set run command: uv run tux start
6. Deploy

Render

Best for: Free tier and simple deployment

Pros:

• Free tier available
• Auto SSL
• Auto deploy from GitHub

Setup:

1. Connect GitHub repository
2. Create PostgreSQL database
3. Create web service (even though it's a bot)
4. Set environment variables
5. Build command: uv sync
6. Start command: uv run tux start

Heroku

Best for: Traditional PaaS experience

Note: No longer has free tier

Setup:

# Install Heroku CLI
curl https://cli-assets.heroku.com/install.sh | sh

# Login
heroku login

# Create app
heroku create your-tux-bot

# Add PostgreSQL
heroku addons:create heroku-postgresql:mini

# Set environment variables
heroku config:set BOT_TOKEN=your_token
heroku config:set ENVIRONMENT=production

# Deploy
git push heroku main

# View logs
heroku logs --tail

General Cloud Deployment Steps

1. Prepare Repository

• Fork Tux repository
• Or create your own deploy branch
• Configure for your cloud platform

2. Set Up Database

Most platforms offer managed PostgreSQL:

• Create PostgreSQL instance
• Note connection details
• Usually get DATABASE_URL or individual connection params

3. Configure Environment

Set environment variables in platform dashboard:

BOT_TOKEN=your_discord_token
POSTGRES_HOST=db_host
POSTGRES_PORT=5432
POSTGRES_DB=tuxdb
POSTGRES_USER=user
POSTGRES_PASSWORD=password
ENVIRONMENT=production
DEBUG=false

4. Configure Build

Build Command:

uv sync

Start Command:

uv run tux start

Or create a Procfile:

worker: uv run tux start

5. Deploy

• Connect GitHub repository
• Trigger deployment
• Watch build logs
• Verify bot comes online in Discord

6. Run Migrations

After first deploy:

# Via platform CLI or console
uv run db push

Platform-Specific Considerations

Railway Considerations

• Uses Nixpacks for build detection
• Automatic PORT assignment (not needed for Discord bot)
• Easy database connection via variables
• Free $5/month credit

DigitalOcean

• Requires explicit build/run commands
• Good monitoring built-in
• Easy scaling
• Managed database recommended

Render Considerations

• Free tier available (limited)
• Auto-deploy from GitHub
• Good for small bots
• May sleep on free tier

Heroku Considerations

• Mature platform
• Extensive add-ons
• No free tier anymore
• Good documentation

Cost Estimates

*Prices approximate, check current pricing

Advantages & Disadvantages

✅ Advantages

• No server management
• Automatic backups (usually)
• Built-in monitoring
• Easy scaling
• Professional infrastructure

❌ Disadvantages

• Monthly costs
• Platform lock-in
• Less control
• May have limitations
• Potential cold starts (free tiers)

Migration Between Platforms

Backup Current Data

# Export database
pg_dump postgres://user:pass@host:port/db > backup.sql

# Export configuration
tar -czf config_backup.tar.gz .env config/

Deploy to New Platform

1. Set up new platform
2. Deploy Tux
3. Restore database
4. Test functionality
5. Update DNS/webhooks if needed

Rollback Plan

• Keep old deployment running during migration
• Test thoroughly before shutting down old instance
• Have database backups ready

Monitoring on Cloud Platforms

Most platforms provide:

• Logs - Application logs viewer
• Metrics - CPU, RAM, network usage
• Alerts - Uptime and error alerts
• Health Checks - Automatic restart on failure

Configure health check endpoint if supported.

Tips

Troubleshooting

Build Failures

• Check build logs carefully
• Verify pyproject.toml and uv.lock are committed
• Ensure Python 3.13+ is available
• Check for platform-specific build requirements

Database Connection Failed

• Verify DATABASE_URL or connection parameters
• Check database is in same region
• Verify network connectivity
• Check database is running

Bot Offline

• Check platform dashboard for errors
• View application logs
• Verify bot token is correct
• Check Discord API status

Best Practices

• Use managed database - Don't self-host DB on cloud
• Set up alerts - Know when things break
• Enable auto-deploy - From GitHub pushes
• Monitor costs - Set billing alerts
• Regular backups - Even with managed DB
• Test before production - Use staging environment

Next Steps

1. Configure Tux - Set up your instance
2. Set Up Monitoring - Watch for issues
3. Configure Backups - Protect data

Easier Alternative: Try Docker Compose on your own VPS.