Hi, I'm @arazgholami, Programmer, Blogger and Explorer.I create things and make them better. I'm a repairer, not replacer.I love to transform complex things to simple things.

How To Deploy a React Application with Apache2 on Ubuntu?
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An easy tutorial for jQuery generation
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For old-generation developers like me, switching from jQuery to React in terms of deployment concepts was horrifying. Remember when deploying meant just FTPing some files and refreshing the browser? Those days are gone, replaced by builds, bundles, and server-side rendering.
Let’s assume you wrote your first React app using crash courses. Now what? How to deploy it? I’ve found that deploying React apps doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Here’s my complete, no-nonsense guide to deploying a React SSR application on Ubuntu with Apache2.
PrerequisitesBefore we dive in, make sure you have:

	An Ubuntu server with root/sudo access
	A domain name (I’ll use mywebsite.com in examples)
	Node.js and npm installed
	Git for version control
	About 45 minutes of focused time
1. Setting Up Your Server
First things first. Let’s update your system and install the necessary packages:sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install apache2 -yNow, enable the Apache modules we’ll need:sudo a2enmod proxy
sudo a2enmod proxy_httpsudo a2enmod rewritesudo systemctl restart apache2
2. Preparing Your Application Directory
Create a home for your application:sudo mkdir -p /var/www/mywebsite.com
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/mywebsite.com
Install PM2 globally—it’s your application’s reliable babysitter:sudo npm install -g pm2
3. Apache Virtual Host Setup
This is where the magic happens. Create a new virtual host configuration:sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/mywebsite.com.conf
Add this configuration (I’ll explain why each part matters):
 ServerName mywebsite.com ServerAlias www.mywebsite.com
	 ProxyPreserveHost On ProxyPass / http://localhost:3000/ ProxyPassReverse / http://localhost:3000/
	 ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mywebsite.com_error.log CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mywebsite.com_access.log combined
	
	 Options Indexes FollowSymLinks AllowOverride All Require all granted    
	Enable your site and disable the default Apache site:sudo a2ensite mywebsite.com.conf
sudo a2dissite 000-default.confsudo systemctl restart apache24. Securing Your Application with SSL
In 2024, SSL isn’t optional. Here’s how to set it up:sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-apache -y
sudo certbot --apache -d mywebsite.com -d www.mywebsite.com5. Deploying Your React Application
Clone your repository and install dependencies:cd /var/www/mywebsite.comgit clone your-repository-url .
npm installBuild for production:npm run build
Start your SSR server with PM2:pm2 start npm --name "mywebsite" -- startpm2 savepm2 startup
6. Monitoring and Troubleshooting
Here are the commands I use daily for monitoring:# Check application statuspm2 status
pm2 logs mywebsite# Check Apache logssudo tail -f /var/log/apache2/error.log# Verify Apache config
sudo apache2ctl -tCommon issues you might encounter:

	Port 3000 conflicts:
lsof -i :3000

	Permission issues:
sudo chown -R $USER:$USER /var/www/mywebsite.comMaintenance and Updates
Keep your deployment healthy with these regular maintenance commands:# Update your applicationgit pull
npm installnpm run buildpm2 restart mywebsite# Renew SSL certificatesudo certbot renew
# Monitor real-time metricspm2 monitWhy This Approach Works
Unlike jQuery deployments where we could simply upload files and refresh, React SSR applications need a more robust infrastructure. The setup we’ve created:

	Handles server-side rendering efficiently
	Provides production-grade process management
	Includes proper error logging and monitoring
	Supports SSL out of the box
	Makes updates straightforward
That’s it!
Yes, deploying React SSR applications requires more setup than the jQuery days. But once you understand the pieces and why they’re needed, it becomes a repeatable, reliable process.
Have questions about specific parts of the deployment process? Drop them in the comments below. I read and respond to every comment.

Monday 08:30 AM, 13 January 2025
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