How to host Symfony on Hetzner VM Instance - ServerAvatar

Symfony is an open-source PHP framework known for its flexibility and comprehensive features. It allows developers to efficiently create and manage sophisticated web applications, providing tools for routing, templating, and security. With its extensive range of components and customization options, Symfony facilitates the creation of web solutions without requiring extensive technical knowledge. Hetzner is a dependable hosting option for Symfony, providing scalable infrastructure and simple deployment solutions. ServerAvatar makes it easy and user-friendly to deploy the Symfony application on the Hetzner platform.

Create a Server in Hetzner

Getting Started with Hetzner:

Hetzner provides a range of services like dedicated hosting, virtual private servers, colocation services, and domain registration. Hetzner is known for having reliable systems and competitive prices in web hosting. Its services work well for both individual users and businesses that need strong hosting options.

Step 1: Login to Hetzner Cloud Console

• Go to the Hetzner Cloud website and sign in using your credentials.

Step 2: Create a New Project (Optional)

• If you don't have an existing project, create a new one by clicking on the New Project button.

• Enter a name for your project and click Add Project.

Step 3: Select a Project

• Select the project in which you wish to create your server.

Step 4: Create a New Hetzner Cloud Server

• Navigate to the Servers sub-menu and click on Add Server to begin creating your server.

Step 5: Configure your server

1. Select a Location: Select the data center location where you want to deploy your server. Choose the region that is closest to your target audience for better performance.
2. Select an Image: The Symfony application requires Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or a later version for compatibility and support. ServerAvatar supports Ubuntu 20.04 LTS and Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. Therefore, choose one of these supported operating systems.
3. Select a Server Type: Hetzner provides various plans with different configurations of CPU, RAM, and storage. Select the server type based on your requirements.
4. Select Networking: Select from three networking options for your server. Private networks allow you to securely connect servers within the same data center without going over the public internet.
5. SSH Key or Root Password: Select an SSH Key if you want to authenticate with an SSH key. This method is recommended over using a root password for enhanced security. If you choose SSH key authentication, Hetzner will disable password-based authentication by default. Otherwise, you will receive the root password via email.
6. Add a Firewall Rule: Configure firewall rules to control incoming and outgoing traffic based on IP addresses, ports, and protocols for improved security.
7. Additional Options (Optional): Configure additional options such as Backups, Placement Groups, Volumes, Labels, and Cloud Config as per your Requirements.
8. Give a Server Name: Enter a server name for easy identification.
9. Finalize and Create: Review your configuration settings to ensure that everything is configured correctly. Click on the Create & Buy Now button.9. Finalize and Create: Review your configuration settings to ensure that everything is configured correctly. Click on the Create & Buy Now button.

Step 6: Access Your Server

• Once the server is deployed, it will appear on your Hetzner Cloud dashboard. Use the provided IP address and SSH key (if configured) to access your server via SSH. Now, You can connect your Server with ServerAvatar for Server management.

Initial Server Configuration

The Initial server configuration includes the installation and configuration of various packages required to host your website. Usually, You have to write commands and modify configuration files. Luckily, With ServerAvatar, Your full server configuration and optimization can be automated.

Here are the three ways to automatically configure your server with ServerAvatar.

wget https://srvr.so/install
chmod +x install
./install

Install and Setup Symfony on Cloud using ServerAvatar

Getting Started With Symfony:

Symfony is a powerful PHP framework used to develop web applications. It offers a robust set of features and tools to help streamline the development process. Whether you're building a simple blog or a complex enterprise application, Symfony provides the structure and flexibility you need. In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps to create and configure your Symfony application, ensuring you have a solid foundation to start your development journey.

Requirements:

• PHP 8.2 or higher: Symfony requires a modern version of PHP to leverage the latest features and improvements. Ensure you have PHP 8.2 or a higher version installed on your machine.

Install and Setup Symfony on Cloud using ServerAvatar:

Step 1: Create a Custom Application

• The first step is to create a new custom application. This can be done easily from your server dashboard. Navigate to the application section and click on the Create button to set up your new application.

• To proceed with the installation and deployment of Symfony, ensure you have met the prerequisites.

• Enter an Application Name of your choice.

• Specify a Domain (choose between a Test Domain or a Primary Domain).

  • Note: If you're hosting Symfony on your domain, make sure your domain is correctly pointed to your server's current IP address.

• Select a Method as a Custom from the given options. Click on the Create Application option.

Step 2: Enable SSH Credentials

• To securely access your server, you need to enable SSH credentials. SSH (Secure Shell) provides a secure way to log in to your server remotely, ensuring that your data and commands are encrypted. This step is crucial for managing your server and deploying your Symfony application.

Step 3: Login Using SSH Credentials

• Once you have your SSH credentials enabled, you can log in to your server. Open a terminal and use the following command:
  • sudo ssh {username}@{ip}
• Replace {username} with your actual username and {ip} with your server's IP address. You will be prompted to enter your password. After successful authentication, you will have remote access to your server.

Step 4: Navigate to the Application Path

• With SSH access established, navigate to your application's directory on the server. This is where you will set up your Symfony project. Use the cd command to change directories to your application's root path.

Step 5: Remove the Default index.html

• Your server might have a default index.html file in the application directory. To avoid conflicts and ensure a clean setup, remove this file by running:
  • rm -rf index.html

Step 6: Run Composer to Create a New Symfony Project

• Composer is a dependency manager for PHP that makes it easy to install and manage libraries and frameworks. Use Composer to create a new Symfony project in your current directory by executing:
  • composer create-project symfony/skeleton .

• This command downloads and sets up the basic structure of a Symfony application.

Step 7: Install Webapp Pack

• To add essential tools and features to your Symfony project, you need to install the Symfony web app pack. Run the following command:
  • composer require symfony/webapp-pack
• This package includes commonly used bundles and components that will help you develop your web application efficiently.

Step 8: Configuration Without Docker

• During the setup process, you may be prompted to configure the application with Docker. For simplicity, choose not to use Docker by entering n when prompted. This will configure Symfony to run in a traditional server environment.

Step 9: Set Custom Webroot

• Next, set the custom webroot as public for your application. This can be done from the application dashboard in the application settings. The webroot is the directory where your web server looks for the application files to serve.

Step 10: Fix Permissions

• Fix file permissions are essential for your application to run smoothly. Adjust the permissions from the application dashboard in the application settings to ensure your web server can access and modify the necessary files.

Step 11: Verify Installation

• To confirm that your Symfony installation is successful, visit your application domain in a web browser. You should see the Symfony welcome page, indicating that your setup is complete and your application is ready for development.

Step 12: Configure Environment File

• Edit the .env File: The .env file in your Symfony project contains environment-specific settings, such as database credentials and configuration options. Open this file in a text editor and update the settings according to your environment.

Step 13: Set Up the Database

• Create a Database: From the server dashboard, navigate to the databases section and create a new database. This database will store your application's data.

• Configure Database Credentials: Update the .env file with your database credentials. Replace the placeholders with your actual database information:
  • DATABASE_URL=”mysql://db_user:db_password@127.0.0.1:3306/db_name

• Run Migrations: If your Symfony application includes database migrations, run them to set up your database schema. Migrations are a way to define changes to your database structure in a version-controlled manner. Execute the following command to apply the migrations:
  • php bin/console doctrine:migrations:migrate

Conclusion:

Congratulations! You have successfully created and configured your Symfony application. With your environment set up and your database connected, you're now ready to start building your web application using Symfony's powerful tools and features. Whether you're developing a small personal project or a large-scale enterprise application, Symfony provides the flexibility and capabilities to help you achieve your goals. Enjoy your journey with Symfony!