Deploy a Rust web app to a VPS with cargo, no Docker

To deploy a Rust web app to a VPS with ox, add the repo as a project and deploy it, with no Dockerfile and no ox.toml. ox reads crates/api/Cargo.toml and Cargo.lock, runs cargo build --release --locked, then starts target/release/api under systemd behind Caddy with HTTPS. Run ox check in your repo to see the same plan before the first deploy.

Plan verified, real-server test pending. The plan below is what ox check prints for a minimal Rust repo in ox's tests. A deploy on a real server is not recorded yet.

What ox detects in a Rust repo

This is the plan ox check prints for a minimal a Rust web app in a Cargo workspace, with no ox.toml. Each row says where its value came from: a file in the repo, or ox's default.

The ox.toml for Rust

None is needed: the plan above comes from the repo alone. Write one to serve your own domain or to change what ox detected. This one passes ox check against the same repo: [app] keeps the detected start command and build.

domains = ["api.example.com"]

[app]

Check and deploy Rust

Add the repo as a project, then check and ship it from a terminal:

ox check                                # in the repo: the plan above, offline
ox new <owner/repo> --server <server>  # add the repo as a project
ox deploy <project> --wait              # stream the deploy, exit with its result
ox logs <project> --follow             # the app's own logs

Variables to set for Rust

None before the first deploy: ox check asks for no variable. Add your own on the dashboard's Variables tab or with ox vars set <project> KEY.

ox provides these to the app itself: PORT, HOST, OX_ENV, OX_PROJECT, OX_RELEASE, OX_DATA_DIR, PUBLIC_URL and PUBLIC_HOST.

If the Rust deploy fails

• several binaries in the Cargo workspace (api, worker); set [app] start = "target/release/<name>" to the one to run: Set [app] start to the binary to run; run another one as a worker. More.
• killed by the out-of-memory killer (the build needs more memory than the project or host allows): The build ran out of memory. Raise the project's memory, add swap, or use a bigger server. More.
• TCP connect to 127.0.0.1:8001 did not answer within 120s: dial tcp 127.0.0.1:8001: connect: connection refused: The app started but never answered on the port ox gave it. Listen on 127.0.0.1 at $PORT; the lines above the message are the app's own output. More.

Your visitors never see a failed deploy: the previous release keeps serving until the new one passes its health check.

Next steps

• The [tools] keys: pin a runtime version.
• The [app] keys: start, health check, memory and the rest.
• Add a custom domain with one A record; Caddy gets the HTTPS certificate.
• Read the logs live, search them, or download them.
• Set variables and secrets on the dashboard or with ox vars.

Rust FAQ

Do I need a Dockerfile or an ox.toml to deploy a Rust web app to a VPS?

No. ox does not use Docker, and ox check on a Rust repo with no ox.toml prints Ready to deploy. Write an ox.toml only to change what ox detected.

What does ox install on the server for Rust?

Only what the plan names: rust stable (ox's default). Your app's own dependencies are installed by the build into the release folder, not system-wide.

Which binary does ox run in a workspace?

The one binary in the workspace's members, here target/release/api. With several, ox check asks you to set [app] start to one.

Related guides

• React with ViteDeploy a React app built with Vite to your own VPS with no Dockerfile: ox runs the build from your lockfile and Caddy serves dist over HTTPS, no ox.toml.
• Create React AppDeploy a Create React App project to your own VPS: ox runs react-scripts build and Caddy serves the build folder over HTTPS. No Docker, no ox.toml.

Every stack ox deploys, and the ones it does not yet, is on the Stacks page.