Deploying a Gin App

Gin is a fast, minimalist web framework for Go, known for its high performance, simple API, and robust routing capabilities. It’s widely used for building RESTful APIs and web services, making it a popular choice for Go developers who want speed and efficiency.

This guide explains how to deploy a Gin application to Klutch.sh, both with and without a Dockerfile. It also covers installation and provides sample code to get started.

Prerequisites

• Go 1.20+
• Git and GitHub account
• Klutch.sh account

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Getting Started: Install Gin

1. Create a new directory for your app and initialize a Go module:

   mkdir my-gin-app
   cd my-gin-app
   go mod init my-gin-app

2. Install Gin:

   go get github.com/gin-gonic/gin

3. Create a basic Gin app (main.go):

   package main
   
   import (
       "github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
       "os"
   )
   
   func main() {
       r := gin.Default()
       r.GET("/", func(c *gin.Context) {
           c.String(200, "Hello from Gin on Klutch.sh!")
       })
       port := os.Getenv("PORT")
       if port == "" {
           port = "8080"
       }
       r.Run(":" + port)
   }

4. Test locally:

   go run main.go

   Visit http://localhost:8080 to see your app running.

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Deploying Without a Dockerfile

1. Push your Gin app to a GitHub repository.
2. Log in to Klutch.sh.
3. Create a new project and give it a name.
4. Create a new app:
   • Select your Gin GitHub repository and branch
   • Set the port to route traffic (usually 8080 for Gin)
   • Choose region, compute, number of instances, and add any environment variables
5. Add a start command in your app settings:

   go run main.go

6. Click “Create” to deploy. Klutch.sh will build and deploy your app automatically.

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Deploying With a Dockerfile

1. Add a Dockerfile to your project root. Example:

   # Use official Golang image for build
   FROM golang:1.20-alpine AS builder
   WORKDIR /app
   COPY . .
   RUN go build -o gin-app main.go
   
   # Use minimal image for running
   FROM alpine:latest
   WORKDIR /app
   COPY --from=builder /app/gin-app .
   
   # Expose port (match your Gin app)
   EXPOSE 8080
   
   # Start the app
   CMD ["./gin-app"]

2. Push your code (with Dockerfile) to GitHub.
3. In Klutch.sh, follow the same steps to create a project and app, but select the Dockerfile option when prompted.
4. Set the service details and environment variables as needed.
5. Click “Create” to deploy. Klutch.sh will build your Docker image and deploy your app.

Note: Your Gin app should always listen on the PORT environment variable as shown above.

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Resources

• Klutch.sh Documentation
• Gin Documentation

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Deploying to Klutch.sh is simple and flexible. Choose the method that best fits your workflow and project requirements.