dudbox

Apps from GitHub

Last updated

dudbox can build and run your own app from a GitHub repo. After that, every push to the branch deploys again.

Import a repo

  1. In the dashboard, click New, then GitHub repository.
  2. The first time, click Install on GitHub. GitHub asks which repos dudbox may read. Pick one or more, then come back.
  3. Pick the repo. You can change:
    • Name: the app's name. It is also the start of its address.
    • Root directory: the folder to build, for a repo with more than one app (like apps/web).
    • Env vars: the settings your app needs, like DATABASE_URL. Paste a whole .env file into a field to fill them at once. They are saved as secrets.
  4. Click Deploy. dudbox builds the newest commit of the default branch.

What your app needs

  • Listen on $PORT. dudbox sets the env var PORT (8080 unless you change it in Settings) and sends traffic there.
  • No Dockerfile needed. dudbox builds with Railpack ↗, which finds out how to build most apps by itself (it reads package.json, requirements.txt, go.mod and so on).
  • Answer within 60 seconds. A new version goes live when its port answers. With a health check path (Settings), it must answer that path with a status below 400. See Deployments.
  • Migrations in the release command. An app with a database usually migrates it before it starts. Put that command (like npx prisma migrate deploy) in Settings → Release command, not in the start command. The first deploy starts when you import the repo, before you can set it: set it, then click Deploy latest commit on the Deployments tab. See Release command.

Deploy on push

Every push to the branch builds and deploys the new commit, usually within a few seconds. The Deployments tab shows each one, with its commit message and author. To deploy without a push, click Deploy latest commit there.

To change the repo, branch or folder later, or to stop deploying on push, go to Settings → GitHub.

More repos

If you gave dudbox only some repos, the New dialog has Add more repos on GitHub under the repo list. You can also click Manage GitHub access on the Account page and change the dudbox app's repo access there. If the dialog says Log in to GitHub again, click it: GitHub forgot dudbox's login, for example after you removed the app there.

This page as Markdown, for agents: /docs/github.md