Overview
The script handles everything needed to get a new .NET app environment running on Linux — in one go. You run it, answer a few prompts, and it generates all the files and configuration automatically.
Here's what it produces after a single run:
/var/www/{appName}/{env}/
├── artifact/ # drop your .zip release here
├── app/ # extracted and running app files
├── script/
│ ├── deploy.sh # generated deploy script
│ └── logs/ # deploy logs with timestamps
/etc/systemd/system/{appName}-{env}.service
/etc/nginx/sites-available/{appName}-{env}
You need a Linux server with Nginx, .NET runtime, and systemd already installed. The script must be run as a
user with sudo privileges. Certbot is optional — only needed if you want HTTPS.
What the Script Asks You
When you run the script, it walks you through a short set of prompts before doing anything:
| Prompt | Example Value | What It's Used For |
|---|---|---|
| App name | your-api |
Folder structure, service name, Nginx config name |
| Environment | uat |
Separates dev / qa / uat / prod on the same server |
| Domain | app.example.com |
Nginx server_name and Certbot SSL |
| Kestrel port | 5000 |
The port your .NET app listens on internally |
| DLL filename | MyApp.dll |
The entry point passed to dotnet in systemd |
| Deploy user | deploy |
The OS user that owns the /var/www folder |
After you confirm, it runs everything automatically without further interaction — except for the optional SSL step at the end.
How to Use It
chmod +x setup-dotnet-app.shsudo ./setup-dotnet-app.shcp myapp-release.zip /var/www/your-api/uat/artifact/bash /var/www/your-api/uat/script/deploy.shWhat Each Generated File Does
deploy.sh
The deploy script is what you run every time you release a new version. It does the following in order:
- Finds the
.zipfile in theartifact/folder - Extracts it to a temp directory
- Detects and flattens any single nested folder inside the zip
- Syncs the contents into the
app/directory - Reloads systemd and restarts the service
- Writes a timestamped log file and symlinks it to
latest.log
Check the latest deploy log anytime with: cat /var/www/{appName}/{env}/script/logs/latest.log
systemd Service File
The service file registers your app with systemd so it starts automatically on boot and restarts if it crashes. Key settings worth knowing:
User=www-data— runs the app as the web service accountRestart=alwayswithRestartSec=10— auto-recovers from crashesASPNETCORE_ENVIRONMENT=Production— sets the .NET environment
Nginx Config
The Nginx config sets up a reverse proxy that forwards traffic from port 80 (or 443 after SSL) to your Kestrel port. It includes tuned buffer settings to handle large headers — useful for apps that pass JWT tokens in requests.
Optional SSL with Certbot
At the end of the setup, the script asks if you want HTTPS. If you say yes, it runs Certbot automatically using the domain you provided:
sudo certbot --nginx -d "$domain" --non-interactive --agree-tos -m "$sslEmail"If Certbot fails (usually due to DNS not pointing to the server yet), the script prints a warning but doesn't exit. You can always run Certbot manually later once DNS is sorted.
Summary
This script eliminates the repetitive manual work of setting up a new .NET app environment on Linux. Here's what a single run gives you:
- A clean folder structure under
/var/www - A ready-to-use deploy script with timestamped logging
- A systemd service that auto-starts and auto-restarts the app
- An Nginx reverse proxy config pointed at your domain
- Optional HTTPS via Let's Encrypt in the same session
The next time you spin up a new environment — dev, QA, UAT, or prod — it's one script run instead of 30 minutes of manual config.