## Prerequisites

* An [October CMS](https://octobercms.com/) project ready for deployment
* A Git repository (GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket)
* A web hosting service or server with:
  * PHP >= 7.4
  * MySQL/PostgreSQL database
  * Composer installed
  * PHP extensions: PDO, cURL, OpenSSL, MBString, ZipArchive
* SSL certificate (recommended)

## Initial Setup

### 1. Create your October CMS project

```bash
# Install October CMS via Composer
composer create-project october/october myoctober

# Navigate to project
cd myoctober

# Install dependencies
composer install

# Generate application key
php artisan key:generate
```

### 2. Configure environment file

Copy and edit `.env` file:

```bash
cp .env.example .env
```

Essential `.env` configurations:

```env
APP_DEBUG=false
APP_URL=https://your-domain.com
APP_KEY=your-generated-key

DB_CONNECTION=mysql
DB_HOST=127.0.0.1
DB_PORT=3306
DB_DATABASE=october
DB_USERNAME=root
DB_PASSWORD=password

CMS_ROUTES_CACHE=true
CMS_ASSET_CACHE=true
ENABLE_CSRF=true
```

### 3. Initialize Git repository

```bash
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git remote add origin <your-repository-url>
git push -u origin main
```

## DeployHQ Configuration

### 1. Create DeployHQ Account

* Visit [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com/)
* Sign up for a new account

### 2. Create New Project

* Click "New Project"
* Choose project name
* Select repository provider
* Grant repository access

### 3. Configure Server

* Go to "Servers & Groups"
* Add new server
* Configure server details:
  * Server type (SFTP/SSH recommended)
  * Hostname
  * Username
  * Authentication method
  * Remote path

### 4. Configure Build Pipeline

* Go to "Build Pipeline"
* Add commands:

```bash
# Install Composer dependencies
composer install --no-dev --no-interaction --prefer-dist --optimize-autoloader

# Clear and cache routes
php artisan route:cache

# Clear and cache config
php artisan config:cache

# Clear and cache views
php artisan view:cache

# October CMS specific commands
php artisan october:up
php artisan cache:clear
```

### 5. Configure Deployment

* Go to "Deployment Config"
* Set up file rules:

```
# Include
app/**/*
bootstrap/**/*
config/**/*
modules/**/*
plugins/**/*
themes/**/*
vendor/**/*
.htaccess
index.php
artisan

# Exclude
.env
.git/**/*
.github/**/*
storage/framework/cache/**/*
storage/framework/sessions/**/*
storage/framework/views/**/*
storage/logs/**/*
storage/app/**/*
tests/**/*
```

### 6. Environment Configuration

* Add production environment variables
* Configure database credentials
* Set up mail settings
* Configure cache and session settings

## First Deployment

### 1. Database Setup

* Create production database
* Update `.env` with database credentials
* Run migrations:

```bash
php artisan october:up
```
*You can leave this command as a SSH Command and it will run every time. If there are no migrations, the command will end without errors*

### 2. Storage Setup

```bash
# Set proper permissions
chmod -R 775 storage
chmod -R 775 bootstrap/cache
```

### 3. Initial Deployment

* Go to "Deployments"
* Click "Deploy Now"
* Select branch
* Review and confirm

## Ongoing Usage

### 1. Regular Updates

```bash
# Make changes locally
git add .
git commit -m "Update changes"
git push origin main
```

### 2. Post-Deployment Tasks

* Clear cache
* Update database if needed
* Check file permissions

## Troubleshooting

* **500 Errors**: Check storage permissions
* **White Screen**: Enable debug mode temporarily
* **Database Issues**: Verify credentials and migrations
* **Asset Problems**: Check mix manifest and compilation
* **Cache Issues**: Clear all cache types

## Best Practices

1. Use deployment hooks for automation
2. Regular database backups
3. Implement staging environment
4. Monitor error logs
5. Keep October CMS updated
6. Use SSL/HTTPS
7. Configure proper caching

## Production Configurations

### 1. Apache Configuration (.htaccess)

```apache
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteBase /
    
    # Force HTTPS
    RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
    RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
    
    # Handle Front Controller
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
    RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
    RewriteRule ^ index.php [L]
</IfModule>
```

### 2. Nginx Configuration

```nginx
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name your-domain.com;
    return 301 https://$server_name$request_uri;
}

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name your-domain.com;
    
    root /path/to/october/install;
    index index.php;
    
    ssl_certificate /path/to/cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /path/to/key.pem;
    
    location / {
        try_files $uri $uri/ /index.php?$query_string;
    }
    
    location ~ \.php$ {
        fastcgi_pass unix:/var/run/php/php7.4-fpm.sock;
        fastcgi_index index.php;
        fastcgi_param SCRIPT_FILENAME $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
        include fastcgi_params;
    }
}
```

### 3. Cache Configuration

```php
// config/cache.php
'default' => env('CACHE_DRIVER', 'file'),
'stores' => [
    'redis' => [
        'driver' => 'redis',
        'connection' => 'default',
    ],
]
```

## Security Considerations

1. Enable CSRF protection
2. Configure secure headers
3. Set up proper file permissions
4. Use strong passwords
5. Regular security updates
6. Enable SSL/HTTPS
7. Configure firewall rules

---

This guide provides a comprehensive approach to deploying October CMS using [DeployHQ](https://www.deployhq.com/). Adjust configurations based on your specific needs and hosting environment. Remember to follow security best practices and keep your system updated.

----------

_Want to learn more about deployment or Wordpress? Check out our [documentation](https://www.deployhq.com/support) or [contact our support team](https://www.deployhq.com/contact) for assistance._