How To Deploy .NET Core Application On Linux

Introduction

Deploying a .NET Core application on a Linux server involves a few steps to set up the server, transfer your application files, and configure a web server (like Nginx or Apache) to serve your application. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Prepare Your .NET Core Application

1. Publish your .NET Core application using the dotnet publish command. This command compiles and packages your application for deployment.

dotnet publish -c Release -o /path/to/publish

Replace /path/to/publish with the directory where you want the published files to be placed.

Step 2: Set Up a Linux Server

1. Obtain a Linux server. This could be a virtual machine, cloud instance, or dedicated server. Ensure it has the necessary resources (RAM, CPU, storage) to run your application.
2. Connect to your Linux server using SSH. You can use tools like PuTTY (Windows) or the terminal (macOS/Linux).

ssh username@server_ip

Replace username with your username and server_ip with the server’s IP address.

Step 3: Install .NET Core Runtime

1. Install the .NET Core Runtime on the Linux server. Follow the official guide for the specific distribution you’re using: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/core/install/linux

Step 4: Transfer Published Files

1. Use scp (secure copy) to transfer your published application files from your local machine to the server.

scp -r /path/to/publish/* username@server_ip:/path/on/server

Step 5: Configure a Web Server (Nginx)

1. Install Nginx on your Linux server:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nginx

2. Create a new Nginx site configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp

3. Add the following configuration, adjusting paths and domain as needed:

server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your_domain.com www.your_domain.com;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://localhost:5000;  # Your .NET Core app's Kestrel server address
        proxy_http_version 1.1;
        proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
        proxy_set_header Connection keep-alive;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_cache_bypass $http_upgrade;
    }
}

4. Create a symbolic link to enable the site:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/myapp /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/

5. Remove the default Nginx configuration:

sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

6. Test the Nginx configuration and restart Nginx:

sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx

Step 6: Run Your .NET Core Application

1. Navigate to the directory where you published your application:

cd /path/on/server

2. Start your .NET Core application:

dotnet YourApp.dll

Replace YourApp.dll with the name of your application’s entry point.

Step 7: Access Your Application

1. Open a web browser and navigate to your domain (http://your_domain.com). Your .NET Core application should be accessible.

Congratulations, you’ve successfully deployed your .NET Core application on a Linux server! This guide provides a basic outline, and you may need to adjust specific details based on your application’s requirements and the Linux distribution you’re using.