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name: kamal-deploy description: Deploy Docker applications using Kamal 2 with zero-downtime and automatic SSL. Use this skill when (1) setting up new Kamal deployments, (2) generating deploy.yml configuration, (3) deploying apps that lack health endpoints (using Caddy workaround).

Kamal 2 Deployment

Workflow

Ask user for:

1. Domain — e.g., app.example.com (service name: app_example_com)
2. Server IP(s)
3. Health endpoint — Does app return 200 on /up without auth?

Generate config/deploy.yml

Copyservice: {{DOMAIN_UNDERSCORED}}
image: jalen0x/{{DOMAIN_UNDERSCORED}}

servers:
  web:
    hosts:
      - {{SERVER_IP}}

proxy:
  ssl: true
  host: {{DOMAIN}}

registry:
  username: jalen0x
  password:
    - KAMAL_REGISTRY_PASSWORD

ssh:
  user: ubuntu

builder:
  arch: amd64

Health Endpoint

App must respond 200 on /up at port 80 (default).

Custom path: Add healthcheck.path to proxy config.

No health endpoint: Use Caddy. Copy templates from assets/ and customize:

• assets/Caddyfile → project Caddyfile
• assets/start.sh → project start.sh

Generate Dockerfile:

CopyFROM {{BASE_IMAGE}}
RUN apk add --no-cache caddy
COPY Caddyfile /Caddyfile
COPY start.sh /start.sh
RUN chmod +x /start.sh
ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/sh", "/start.sh"]

Commands

Copykamal setup   # First-time
kamal deploy  # Deploy