How to host Symfony on Linode VM Instance - ServerAvatar

Symfony is an open-source PHP framework known for its flexibility, modularity, and comprehensive features. Symfony allows developers to build scalable and high-performance applications efficiently. Hosting Symfony on Linode provides a dependable and scalable solution. Linode provides a wide range of instance types and configurations to match various performances with flexible deployment options. ServerAvatar simplifies the process by providing a clear, step-by-step guide to setting up your Symfony application on Linode.

Create a server in Linode

First of all, Let's create a VM instance in Linode. It provides a lot of different types of VM instances. You can create shared VM instances, Dedicated Instances, Memory-optimized instances, and GPU instances. To host a simple website, You will need a shared VM instance.

If you think your application uses high CPU or RAM, You can go for a Dedicated CPU VM or Memory Optimised VM respectively. Let's get started with the process.

Step 1: Go to Linode VM Instance Creation Form

When you log in to your Linode account, You will see the "Create Linode" button on the top-right corner of the page. Click on it to go to the Linode creation form.

Step 2: Select the Distribution

Generally, the Symfony application requires Ubuntu 18.04 LTS or a later version for compatibility and support. We will use ServerAvatar as a server management panel. It supports Ubuntu 20.04 LTS as well as Ubuntu 22.04 LTS. So, select any one of the supported OS.

Step 3: Select the Region

Linode has multiple data centers located in different regions worldwide. It is recommended to choose the region that is closest to your major traffic source to reduce latency and improve the performance of your applications.

Step 4: Select Linode Plan

Linode offers various plans with different configurations of CPU, RAM, and storage. Choose a plan that fits in your budget and meets your application's needs. With ServerAvatar, You can also host multiple applications on a single Linode VM Instance.

Step 5: Set Label and Select Tags

The label is a human-readable name that you can use to identify your instance. Tags are keywords that you can use to categorize and search for your instances. You can also group Linodes by Tags on the dashboard.

Step 6: Set Strong Root Password and Select SSH Key

The root password is the administrator password that you will use to access and manage your VM instance. Make sure to use a strong password that is hard to guess and includes a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters.

Next, select an SSH key if you want to authenticate with SSH keys. SSH keys are a more secure way to log in to your VM instance than using passwords. If you have an SSH key, you can upload it to your Linode account and use it to log in to your VM instance.

Step 7: Select VLAN (If Required)

A VLAN is a logical network that separates traffic from different virtual machines or physical servers. It can be used to isolate network traffic and improve security.

Step 8: Select Add-ons - Backups and Private IP

Linode provides an easy way to create and store backups for your VM instances. Backups are highly recommended as they can help you with disaster recovery quickly. In the last step, You can enable the Private IP address for your VM instance if required.

Step 9: Click on "Create Linode"

Finally, Click on the Create Linode button at the end of the form to create a Linode VM instance. It usually takes around 2 minutes to create a new Linode instance. Once done, You can connect it with ServerAvatar for ease of site and server configuration 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!