Ask HN: How do you handle server install of a web app for customers?

3 points

9 years ago

If you provide a web app to customers that they can host themselves, how do you ensure they can easily install your app on a server? (By server, I'm referring to either an internal company server, or a server provided by a hosting provider, including shared hosting options.)

Have you managed to make the deployment process easy enough that your users can install the app by themselves?

Or do you handle the server installation on behalf of your customers?

I'm particularly interested in your experience of letting users install a web app by themselves. Do you have to provide copious amounts of documentation?

My impression is that server installation is needlessly complicated. It's no wonder SaaS solutions are so popular.

I'm learning Python at the moment, but PHP seems to be the only language where installation (even on shared hosting plans) is as simple as uploading files to a folder and that's it.

Is it possible for web apps written in other languages to be installed as simply as this? PHP's huge advantage is that you can shop around for hosting from hundreds of hosting providers. For a customer, that equals lots of choice in where to install your app if you don't have your own server.

I'm aware of sandstorm.io, but it's more of a hub or container for other apps, and installation is not something an end-user could do.

If you're a developer who doesn't want to provide a SaaS service (or wants to provide a self-hosting solution in addition to a SaaS one), a simple installation process for your customers should be a big win. But the needlessly complicated process of server install makes this difficult to impossible.

Thoughts?

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