Lifeboat - Deploy Xojo Web Apps Anywhere! Redirects, www, and Ubuntu 21 support

Show & Tell
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Hi everyone! I normally don’t post Lifeboat PR here because I don’t know how many people here are actually using Web 2.0 and I really don’t want to spam the place. The reason I’m posting is because the Discord channel has been very supportive and have encouraged me to post releases here too.

If you think it’s not appropriate, feel free to send a PM and I will reconsider for the future.

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Rochester, NY – [I am] pleased to announce new features for Lifeboat, the server management software! Lifeboat was created to help anyone that wants to write a web app deploy a web app. This latest version configures redirects, handles www. prefixes automatically, and introduces Ubuntu 21.04 support.

Lifeboat makes it simple to deploy and manage Xojo Web applications on any Linux server. Automate configuration and let Lifeboat juggle port assignments, system services, and reverse proxy software for running a web app server. Lifeboat is designed to deploy both Xojo Web 1.0 and Xojo Web 2.0 standalone applications.

Just added, Lifeboat now enables developers to configure a www. prefix for domains with one click. The new Redirects feature implements HTTP redirects to point visitors from one address to another at the nginx level.

Lifeboat has been updated to work with the latest Ubuntu 21.04. Lifeboat can connect to and manage servers running modern versions of CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu.

New: Support for Ubuntu 21.04
New: Handle www. prefixes with a checkbox
New: Configure web redirects without PHP
Fixed: PHP logs button now stays aligned
Changed: Improvements to Super Simple Sync

In addition to the Xojo Web specific tools, Lifeboat offers features to manage static websites. Install and configure SSL in one (or two) click(s) for free with LetsEncrypt integration. Serve static HTML or PHP files to offer visitors a traditional website experience.

Download and evaluate Lifeboat for free. For evaluation Lifeboat will configure one server, one web application, and one static files directory. A license is required to unlock these limits.

For more information about Lifeboat, please visit the website:
https://strawberrysw.com/lifeboat

Download Lifeboat and try it for free on Mac or Windows 10:
https://strawberrysw.com/lifeboat/get

Contact the author directly:
support@strawberrysw.com

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I have a few questions

Can I use lifeboat to deploy to AWS and light sail ?
Can I configure more than one app on either of these ?

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Yes! I even have a video for Lightsail: https://youtu.be/EVI5rdne5Tk

Yep! You can even mix Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 with no troubles :smiley:

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This is for windows to?

ahh, yepp missed it

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I think that Tim must transform Lifeboat in a Swiss Knife to easy handle some web installs and management. So it can become something to install/uninstall/config NGINX (or Apache), Let’s Encrypt, PHP, MYSQL, Postgresql, Python3… AND Xojo Apps, and contents. Something like that. The sales would be beyond the Xojo world.

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I have been expanding! Lifeboat does install PHP and configures nginx so that your websites can use php-fpm. I tried installing MySQL and it was a nightmare. I may be able to automate it, but it’s not a small task. My hope is that PostgreSQL is easier.

I’ve been trying to show folks that it can be used for more than just Xojo Web. I use it for my entire network of static websites and xojo web apps. The strawberrysw website is configured with Lifeboat!

Does anyone build web apps with Python? Get in touch, maybe I can add some stuff to Lifeboat :slight_smile:

Building support for Lifeboat will really help me keep working on it. I may not be focusing on Xojo, but Lifeboat goes beyond Xojo and will continue active development. Spread the word, tell your friends, and of course if you have any questions or ideas don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Something obviously happened in the relatively recent past…

-Karen

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I have to admit that LifeBoat was the EASIEST part of getting a demo server set up on DigitalOcean and running.

I’ve tweaked the app several times and redeployed it about 10 times very quickly each time

Nice work !

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The 3 most usual backend infras are built with Python or PHP or Node.js, (Django/Laravel/Express).

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I think he ment, Is anyone here building stuff with that stack…

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I know what he meant, but this way of thinking does not make sales. The way is: What tools people around the globe need and my tools can help them to install and manage easily? What features can I add to my tool to satisfy that (hundreds of) people? How to be known outside of the Xojo circle?

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Sure growing its capabilities to handle these scenarios is probably in the cards
But it doest have those things today so why tell people that might need / want those to use it TODAY if it wont help them ?

Sell what you have. Not whats might be useful or what might be coming in 6 mos :slight_smile:

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What if what you have exhausted the potential number of buyers, just because you are operating in a very small and limited niche? Wouldn’t be a good idea to do some research seeking to satisfy and expand the sales beyond such niche? Outside the pond, looking at some lakes, instead of sitting waiting for newcomers to such platform? You can add new features of interest to people outside the pond at the pace of 1 each month, no need to wait 6 months. Making your tool known will be the great challenge here.

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what if they need support for deploying assembler projects to the web ?
or cobol ?

WHAT IF is a lost cause

SELL WHAT YOU HAVE because it IS What you have and can sell today
Dont try & sell what might, or might not, be coming tomorrow, next year or in 4 or 5 years

You and I dont know what tim IS / ISNT working on ( well sort of not true I have some idea )

Making what he has well known TODAY is definitely a challenge

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I think that there’s no space to insanity when I expect logical argumentation. To sell anything you first need to find buyers. I said facts, verifiable, researcheable facts, trowing fallacies on me won’t help anyone, but if it will make you feel better… whatever.

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Yes, you should know your addressable market.

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that was sarcasm rick

tim has a product
its aimed at the things he already created
getting word out to people who have THAT need is the point
he already knows there are lots of other things that might be desirable(I gave him one that I sure hope hes working on)

getting the word out is the goal now

build a clientele & keep adding growing that

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This tool is SO darned handy !
Redeployed a small app several times this morning
Its absolutely painless

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agreed.

Its not that we cant do this manually ourselves, but it takes soo much longer to do it that way.

Saving time whenever I can nowadays, an this tool is perfect in that regard.