Overview

In this note, we outline how to automate the deployment process for a Laravel project using Deployer and GitHub Actions. The setup covers deploying to both staging and production environments, with different workflows for each environment. We also integrate necessary post-deployment tasks such as running migrations and restarting queues using Supervisor.

Prerequisites

Before setting up this automation, ensure the following:

• Deployer is installed in your Laravel project (composer require deployer/deployer --dev).
• The deploy.php configuration file is created in the root of your project.
• SSH keys are set up correctly between GitHub Actions and your server for secure deployment.

Deployment Setup

Step 1: Creating the deploy.php File

The deploy.php file is essential for configuring Deployer. It defines the repository, shared directories, writable directories, and host settings for both staging and production environments. Below is an example.

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<?php
namespace Deployer;

require 'recipe/laravel.php';

// Project repository
set('repository', '[email protected]:your-username/your-repo.git');

// Shared files/dirs between deploys 
add('shared_files', ['.env']);
add('shared_dirs', ['node_modules', 'vendor']);

// Writable dirs by web server 
add('writable_dirs', []);

// Hosts
host('staging')
 ->set('hostname','IP')
 ->set('remote_user', 'deployer') 
 ->set('branch', 'staging') 
 ->set('deploy_path', '/var/www/staging');

host('production')
 ->set('hostname','IP')
 ->set('remote_user', 'deployer') 
 ->set('branch', 'main')
 ->set('deploy_path', '/var/www/production');

// Tasks
desc('Restart PHP-FPM service');
task('php-fpm:restart', function () {
 run('sudo systemctl restart php7.4-fpm');
});

desc('Restart supervisor service');
task('supervisor:restart', function () {
 run('sudo supervisorctl reread');
 run('sudo supervisorctl update');
 run('sudo supervisorctl restart all');
});

// Hooks
after('deploy:symlink', 'php-fpm:restart');
after('deploy:symlink', 'artisan:migrate');
after('deploy:symlink', 'supervisor:restart');

Step 2: GitHub Actions Workflow

Staging Workflow (staging-deploy.yml)

The following is an example of a GitHub Actions workflow file for deploying to the staging environment.

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name: Deploy to Staging

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - staging

jobs:
  deploy:
    name: Deploy to Staging
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Install PHP
        uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
        with:
          php-version: '8.1'

      - name: Install Composer Dependencies
        run: composer install --no-progress --no-interaction --prefer-dist --optimize-autoloader

      - name: Deploy to Staging
        uses: deployphp/action@v1
        with:
          private-key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
          dep: deploy staging

Production Workflow (production-deploy.yml)

The production workflow is similar but triggers on pushes to the main branch.

Step 3: Testing and Troubleshooting

Common Errors

1. No host selected: This error occurs when Deployer cannot find the host based on the command selector. Make sure you pass the correct host (either staging or production) when deploying.

   1	./vendor/bin/dep deploy staging

2. Call to undefined method: This error may appear if you’re using the wrong Deployer version or method. In our case, ensure you’re following the Deployer 7.x documentation.

Step 4: Post-Deployment Tasks

1. Running Migrations: We use the artisan:migrate command to ensure that migrations are run automatically after deployment.

2. Restarting Queues: If changes to the queue system are deployed, it’s essential to restart the queue workers. We achieve this by running artisan:queue:restart after deployment.

3. Restarting Supervisor: If you’re managing workers using Supervisor, the deployment process includes commands to restart Supervisor with supervisorctl.

Summary

By combining Deployer and GitHub Actions, we’ve automated the deployment process for a Laravel project across both staging and production environments. This approach ensures the project is deployed and migrations are run automatically, and queue workers are restarted when necessary. The process is both scalable and adaptable for future projects.

Sources

1. Deployer Documentation: Hosts in Deployer 7.x
   https://deployer.org/docs/7.x/hosts

2. Deployer GitHub Action
   https://github.com/deployphp/action

3. Deployer Official Documentation: Version 7.x
   https://deployer.org/docs/7.x/

4. GitHub Actions Documentation: Workflow Syntax
   https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions

Introduction

Companies buy reach instead of a number of spots. This reach represents the number of listeners at a given moment, such as during rush hour. The number of spots does not matter if the reach is low. You have gross reach, average contact frequency (GCF), and Net reach. Net reach refers to the number of unique listeners, while gross reach does not distinguish between them. The GCF measures how often a listener hears a spot.

Example Calculation

$Gross = 2.583.958$
$GCF = 4$
$Net = \frac{Gross}{GCF} = 645.989,50 \approx 645.990 \text{ Unique listeners}$

Understanding GRP (Gross Rating Point)

Radio stations use Gross Rating Point (GRP), which works with target groups and percentages. A GRP of 5 means that 5% of the target group was reached. This can be filtered by age, gender, country, etc., with age being the most common filter. GRP adds up, so Net listeners do not matter. For example, $2 \times 5%$ GRP simply becomes 10% GRP.

Important Considerations

• Average Contact Frequency: Always pay attention to the GCF.
• Target Groups: Some age groups are more difficult to reach.
• Campaign Duration: Longer campaigns may be necessary for less popular stations.

Data Sources: National Listening Survey (NLO)

The National Listening Survey (NLO) provides data on the number of listeners to major radio stations. NLO participants maintain a diary every fifteen minutes over two months, noting which station they listen to.

Key Statistics

• 15.000.000 listeners monthly to large radio stations.
• Market share is recorded as a percentage of listeners aged ten years or older.

Choosing the Right Station

To advertise effectively, assess the most cost-efficient way to reach your target group. Many advertisers mistakenly choose stations based on assumptions rather than data.

Campaign Pricing Factors

Basic Annual Price (BJP)

The BJP represents how much you will pay per year for a basic number of spots. Discounts may apply for bulk spot purchases.

Spot Length

Radio stations base prices on a standard spot length of 20 seconds. Prices adjust in increments of 5 seconds for shorter or longer spots.

Monthly Rate Example

$BJP = 200 \text{ euros}$
$\text{Spot length} = 35 \text{ seconds}$
$Index = 175 \text{ euros}$
$\text{Monthly rate} = 175 \times 200 = 35.000 \text{ euros per month}$

Advertiser Packages

Advertiser packages offer different conditions such as priority in scarcity situations, and how quickly reach can be used (distribution).

Example: GRP Target

Suppose you want a GRP of 3.5 million people in a month on NPO Radio 2. With distribution, you can limit the campaign to stop once that GRP is reached, avoiding unnecessary extra costs.

Time Slots and Indexing

Time slots indicate when something is broadcast during the day (e.g., 6-24, 9-14). Some companies calculate these as a separate index.

Target groups also determine the price. Factors such as demand, supply, and size influence the cost.

Market Index

Radio stations use a market index to balance supply and demand. Prices may fluctuate based on demand and availability.

Monthly Index

The monthly index tracks how much spot time costs each month. For example, advertising costs may rise during holiday months due to increased demand.

Additional Options

Some packages include additional options, or they may be billed separately:

• Preferred Positions: Your preference for spot position (e.g., last, first).
• Roadblocks: A group of channels plays a spot simultaneously.

GRP Price Calculation

The GRP price is calculated by multiplying the following factors:

$\text{GRP price} = \text{BJP} \times \text{spot length index} \times \text{package index} \times \text{time slot index} \times \text{target group index} \times \text{market index} \times \text{month index}$

Conclusion

All radio stations use fixed costs per spot rather than GRPs, derived from second rates. For companies that prefer not to delve deeply into GRP mechanics, second rates may be the best choice for maximizing reach.

I’ve been recently working on a project with the domain short.moe creating a serverless URL shortening service.

Short.moe is a free URL shortener service that allows you to easily shorten long URLs into shorter, more manageable links. Built with NextJS 14, Clerk, Prisma, and PostgreSQL, hosted on serverless on Vercel, Short.moe is designed to be both easy to use and user-friendly.

Key Features

Easy URL Shortening

With Short.moe, you can shorten URLs without the need to create an account. When shortening a URL without an account, the slug/alias (the unique part of the shortened URL) will be randomly generated using the nanoid package.

Account-Based Customization

For users who create an account, Short.moe offers the ability to set custom slugs. This means you can create memorable, aliased links that are easy to share and recall. Clerk handles authentication, making the process of signing up and managing your account straightforward. On the technical side, this was very easy to do.

In Short

Short.moe aims to be an easy option for anyone looking to shorten URLs quickly and easily, whether with or without a personalized alias/slug. Thank you for reading this short post.

Introduction

CloudFlare’s AI Workers allows developers to interact serverlessly with CloudFlare’s AI models, providing a simple way to integrate AI into your applications.

CloudFlare’s AI Workers Overview

CloudFlare’s AI Workers bring the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI) directly into the realm of serverless computing.

Now, developers can use the power of AI models through CloudFlare’s infrastructure, opening new possibilities for their applications. The AI Workers come with a REST API, allowing for easy integration and communication with CloudFlare’s AI models. These include LLMs, Stable Diffusion, HuggingFace and more.

Python Example: Interacting with CloudFlare’s AI

This Python example that shows how to interact with CloudFlare’s AI models. This script utilizes CloudFlare’s REST API to run an AI model named “@cf/meta/llama-2-7b-chat-int8.”

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import requests

API_BASE_URL = "https://api.cloudflare.com/client/v4/accounts/ACCOUNT_ID/ai/run/"
headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer {API_TOKEN}"}

def run(model, inputs):
    input = { "messages": inputs }
    response = requests.post(f"{API_BASE_URL}{model}", headers=headers, json=input)
    return response.json()

inputs = [
    { "role": "system", "content": "You are an AI" },
    { "role": "user", "content": "Write a short story about a llama that goes on a journey to find an orange cloud"}
]
output = run("@cf/meta/llama-2-7b-chat-int8", inputs)
print(output)

JavaScript Example: Deployment with CloudFlare’s AI

For developers looking to integrate CloudFlare’s AI into their web applications (e.g. customer service chat bots or SaaS), the following JavaScript example showcases the deployment of an AI-powered function using CloudFlare Workers:

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import { Ai } from './vendor/@cloudflare/ai.js';

export default {
  async fetch(request, env) {
    const tasks = [];
    const ai = new Ai(env.AI);

    // Prompt - simple completion-style input
    let simple = {
      prompt: 'Tell me a joke about CloudFlare'
    };
    let response = await ai.run('@cf/meta/llama-2-7b-chat-int8', simple);
    tasks.push({ inputs: simple, response });

    // Messages - chat-style input
    let chat = {
      messages: [
        { role: 'system', content: 'You are a helpful assistant.' },
        { role: 'user', content: 'Who won the world series in 2020?' }
      ]
    };
    response = await ai.run('@cf/meta/llama-2-7b-chat-int8', chat);
    tasks.push({ inputs: chat, response });

    return Response.json(tasks);
  }
};

Proof of Concept AI Worker

To see CloudFlare’s AI Workers in action, check out my AI Chat App. It’s a proof of concept that uses CloudFlare’s AI, providing an eye into the capabilities and potential applications. Try it here: ai.cvyl.me.

Introduction

I recently delved into the world of IPFS (InterPlanetary File System), a protocol designed to improve the way we store and share content on the internet. In this journey, I discovered how IPFS operates compared to centralized servers, its cryptography in blockchain technology, and its potential to provide a decentralized solution.

Understanding IPFS

How IPFS Works

IPFS operates on a decentralized network where files are not stored on a central server but are distributed across a peer-to-peer network. Each file is given a unique hash, and retrieving the file involves querying the network for nodes that have that specific hash. Files on IPFS have a hash that changes if the file has been tampered with, providing a mechanism to prevent and spot malicious data.

This diagram shows the decentralized nature of IPFS and how files are distributed across nodes in the network. Each node contains a unique hash, ensuring data integrity and preventing a single point of failure.

Comparison with Centralized Systems

Let’s compare IPFS with traditional centralized systems:

Centralized servers do use nodes to decrease a single point of failure, but IPFS takes it a step further by decentralizing the entire network.

IPFS in Cryptography and Blockchain Technology

IPFS integrates with blockchain technology, providing secure and transparent file storage. The cryptographic hashes used in IPFS ensure data integrity and authentication. Comparatively, HTTP 2.0 lacks this built-in security layer.

Comparing HTTP 2.0 and IPFS Links

Let’s break down conventional HTTP 2.0 links and an example link from IPFS:

HTTP 2.0 Link:

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https://www.example.com/path/to/content

IPFS Link:

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ipfs://QmXyZaBc123/example/content

Components breakdown:

• Protocol: HTTP vs IPFS
• Address: Domain in HTTP, Hash in IPFS
• Path: Traditional path in HTTP, Content hash in IPFS

IPFS and Censorship Resistance

In countries with strict censorship like China, IPFS offers a decentralized solution. Since the content is distributed across a peer-to-peer network, it becomes challenging for authorities to block access. Additionally, the cryptographic integrity checks make it harder to manipulate or inject malicious content.

Privacy and Decentralization

One of the significant advantages of IPFS is privacy. With your data distributed across the network, ISPs find it challenging to track your activities compared to centralized systems. This decentralization contributes to a more private and secure online experience.

Summary

IPFS is a protocol reshaping the internet. It’s a decentralized, peer-to-peer file system that ensures data integrity, resiliency, and resistance. By using cryptographic hashes and blockchain integration, IPFS provides a secure and transparent way to share and store and share content.

In the past 7 years, Discord has emerged as a popular platform for communication, particularly within gaming communities and social circles. However, beneath its user-friendly interface lies a complex web of privacy concerns that users should be aware of.

Discord’s Privacy Policy: A Critical Examination

Discord’s Privacy Policy (Discord Privacy Policy) outlines the platform’s practices regarding user data. While the document is comprehensive, the devil often lies in the details. People should pay attention to data collection, storage, and sharing policies to understand the extent of their digital footprint on the platform.

Government Requests and User Privacy

Discussions on Reddit (Reddit Post) have shed light on Discord’s stance when faced with government requests for user data. Users express concern towards the platform’s apparent lack of commitment to protecting user privacy in such situations. This raises questions about the balance between user rights and legal obligations.

Terms of Service: What Users Should Know

Terms of Service; Didn’t Read (TOS;DR) offers a summarization of Discord’s Terms of Service (TOS;DR - Discord). This website breaks down the legal jargon and highlights key points, making it easier for people to comprehend the implications of agreeing to Discord’s terms.

Third-Party Observations

In an era of digital transparency, independent observers and critics play a crucial role in scrutinizing online platforms. A critical article on Spyware (Spyware Article) provides a thought-provoking examination of Discord’s privacy-related issues.

In recent times, the rights and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, especially transgender individuals, have become a focal point of political discourse in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, some political parties, like the Forum for Democracy (FvD), have been criticized for their stance on LGBTQ+ rights, contributing to an environment that can be harmful to the transgender community.

Unraveling the FvD’s Impact

The Forum for Democracy, through its policies and public statements, has raised concerns about its support for the rights and dignity of transgender individuals. This party’s positions, often rooted in traditionalist ideologies, can be detrimental to the progress made in securing equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.

Propaganda and Misrepresentation

It is vital to address how political propaganda and nit-picking tactics are applied to cast transgender individuals in a negative light. By highlighting isolated incidents and promoting a skewed narrative, certain political entities contribute to the harmful stereotypes and biases of LGBTQ+ individuals.

A Call to Action

In the face of such challenges, it becomes imperative for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies to be informed and engaged. Platforms like RainbowVote (rainbowvote.nu) play a vital role in empowering individuals with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions during the elections.

Exposing Anti-LGBTQ+ Propaganda

Recent incidents, such as this FvD advertisement here, have come under scrutiny for promoting anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments. This Reddit post highlights the importance of vigilance and the need to counteract misleading narratives that can adversely affect the transgender community.

Conclusion

It is crucial to stand against policies and propaganda that undermine the rights and well-being of transgender individuals. Only together we can strive towards a more accepting and supportive society.