Building Multi-Stage Docker Images for Production

By Admin · Apr 8, 2026 · Updated Apr 24, 2026 · 5 views · 3 min read

This guide covers how to set up and configure docker on a Linux VPS. Whether you're running a production environment or a development setup, these instructions will help you get started quickly and securely.

Prerequisites

Root or sudo access to the server
A Git repository for your project
A VPS running Ubuntu 22.04 or later (2GB+ RAM recommended)

Pipeline Configuration

The default configuration works well for development environments, but production servers require additional tuning. Pay particular attention to connection limits, timeout values, and logging settings.


# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
name: Deploy to Production
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Build
        run: |
          docker build -t myapp:latest .
      - name: Deploy
        run: |
          ssh deploy@server 'cd /opt/myapp && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d'

This configuration provides a good balance between performance and resource usage. For high-traffic scenarios, you may need to increase the limits further.

Build and Test Setup

It's recommended to test this configuration in a staging environment before deploying to production. This helps identify potential compatibility issues and allows you to benchmark performance differences.


# Set up deployment pipeline
mkdir -p /opt/myapp
cd /opt/myapp

# Create deployment script
cat << 'EOF' > deploy.sh
#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail
echo "Deploying version: $1"
docker pull myapp:$1
docker compose down
DOCKER_TAG=$1 docker compose up -d
echo "Deployment complete"
EOF
chmod +x deploy.sh

The configuration above sets the recommended values for a VPS with 2-4GB of RAM. Adjust the memory-related settings proportionally if your server has different specifications.

Advanced Settings

Deployment Automation

Before making changes to the configuration, always create a backup of the existing files. This ensures you can quickly roll back if something goes wrong during the setup process.


# .github/workflows/deploy.yml
name: Deploy to Production
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Build
        run: |
          docker build -t myapp:latest .
      - name: Deploy
        run: |
          ssh deploy@server 'cd /opt/myapp && docker compose pull && docker compose up -d'