A Complete Guide to Deploy Angular App for Production on Linux Servers

Deploying an Angular application to production is a critical step in the development process, requiring attention to optimization, security, and performance. This comprehensive guide outlines best practices and step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth deployment process. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or new to Angular, this manual aims to equip you with the knowledge needed to successfully launch your Angular applications in a production environment.

Introduction

Angular is a versatile framework for building dynamic web applications. When moving from development to production, deploying on a Linux server offers robust performance, security, and control. This guide focuses on deployment steps specific to Ubuntu and RHEL, popular choices for their stability and extensive community support.

Prerequisites

Before diving into the deployment process, ensure you have:

• An Angular application ready for deployment
• A server running with Linux (eg: Ubuntu, Debian, CentOS, or RHEL)
• Basic knowledge of terminal commands and server configuration

Step 1: Environment Setup

Before deploying your application, ensure your server is properly set up and secure.

1.1 Update Your System

For both Ubuntu and RHEL, start by updating your system packages to the latest versions:

• On Debian-based Systems:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade 
  

• On RHEL-based Systems:

  sudo yum update
  

1.2 Install Node.js and NPM

Angular applications require Node.js. Install Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) on your server:

• On Debian-based Systems:

  curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
  sudo apt-get install -y nodejs
  

• On RHEL-based Systems:

  curl -sL https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | bash -
  sudo yum install nodejs -y
  

Use Node Version Manager (NVM) to easily install and manage multiple Node.js versions, as detailed in this guide: https://tecadmin.net/install-nodejs-with-nvm/.

Step 2: Preparing Your Angular Application

2.1 Build for Production

The first step in deploying your Angular application is to prepare the build for production. This involves optimizing the app for performance and security. Use the Angular CLI command:

ng build --prod

This command performs ahead-of-time (AOT) compilation, minification of JS and CSS files, and other optimizations. The --prod flag ensures that your application is built with production settings, resulting in a smaller, faster, and more secure application.

2.2 Environment Configuration

Ensure that your environment-specific settings (e.g., API endpoints, database connections) are configured for the production environment. This typically involves modifying the environment.prod.ts file in your Angular project.

2.3 Transfer Files to Your Server

Use SCP (Secure Copy Protocol) to transfer your production build files to your server:

scp -r ./dist/your-app-name your-user@your-server-ip:/var/www/your-app-name

Ensure you replace your-app-name, your-user, and your-server-ip with your application’s name, your server’s user, and IP address, respectively.

Step 3: Server Configuration

3.1 Install Nginx

Nginx is a high-performance web server that can serve your Angular application. Install Nginx:

• On Debian-based Systems:

  sudo apt install nginx
  

• On RHEL-based Systems:

  sudo dnf install nginx
  

3.2 Configure Nginx for Your Angular App

Create a new Nginx configuration file for your application:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-app-name

Insert the following configuration, adjusting the root directive to point to your application’s build directory:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;

    root /var/www/your-app-name;
    index index.html index.htm;

    # Security Headers
    add_header X-Frame-Options "SAMEORIGIN" always;
    add_header X-Content-Type-Options "nosniff" always;
    add_header X-XSS-Protection "1; mode=block" always;
    add_header Referrer-Policy "no-referrer-when-downgrade" always;
    add_header Content-Security-Policy "default-src 'self'; script-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' 'unsafe-eval' https://trusted.cdn.com; img-src 'self' https://trusted.cdn.com; style-src 'self' 'unsafe-inline' https://trusted.cdn.com; font-src 'self' https://trusted.cdn.com; frame-src 'self'; object-src 'none'" always;
    add_header Strict-Transport-Security "max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains" always;

    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.html;
    }
}

3.3 Customizing Your Configuration

• Modify the server_name, root, and other directives as needed for your specific application.
• Adjust the Content-Security-Policy directive according to your application’s requirements. The example above is strict and may need adjustments to accommodate external scripts, images, styles, etc., that your application uses.
• Review and test your configuration carefully, especially the CSP, as it can break functionality if not properly configured.

3.4 Activate Website

Enable the configuration by creating a symbolic link to the sites-enabled directory:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/your-app-name /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

Reload Nginx to apply the changes:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Step 4: Secure Your Application

4.1 Set Up a Firewall

Ensure your server is secure by configuring the firewall to allow only necessary traffic. For Ubuntu, you might use UFW (Uncomplicated Firewall), and for RHEL, use firewalld.

Enable HTTP (and HTTPS if you have an SSL certificate) traffic:

• On Debian-based Systems:

  sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full'
  

• On RHEL-based Systems:

  sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=http
  sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --zone=public --add-service=https
  sudo firewall-cmd --reload
  

4.2 Enable HTTPS

For added security, set up an SSL certificate with Let’s Encrypt. first install the required packages with below commands:

• On Debian-based Systems:

  sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
  

• On RHEL-based Systems:

  sudo dnf install certbot-nginx
  

Then issue the SSL certificate from Let’s encrypt. Make sure you domain is pointed to your server’s IP address to complete verification.

sudo certbot --nginx -d your-domain.com

Follow the prompts to secure your site with HTTPS.

Step 5: Monitoring and Maintenance

5.1 Use Log Files for Debugging

Nginx logs can provide valuable insights for troubleshooting. Regularly check the error logs:

sudo tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.log

5.2 Keep Your System Updated

Regularly update your server’s packages and Node.js to ensure your application runs on a secure and stable environment:

• On Debian-based Systems:

  sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade
  

• On RHEL-based Systems:

  sudo dnf update
  

Conclusion

Deploying an Angular application to production is a multifaceted process that extends beyond merely transferring files to a server. It encompasses optimization, security, server configuration, and ongoing monitoring. By following the steps outlined in this guide, developers can ensure that their Angular applications are not only ready for production but also optimized for performance, security, and user experience. Remember, deployment is not the end of the development cycle but the beginning of your application’s life in the real world. Regular monitoring, updates, and optimizations are key to maintaining and improving your application over time.