Podman-ify the application so that we automatically deploy to the new (test) server

[drikusroor]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Currently, it's tedious to deploy the MUSCLE project. We have to ssh into one of the servers, fetch the latest branch, run docker commands, etc. Ideally, we should have some form of CI/CD with automated deployment, reducing our workload and shortening the feedback cycle for testing.

Describe the solution you'd like
There has been a plan to convert our Docker setup to use Podman (which is similar and compatible). Podman then runs on the server, and by using a self-hosted GitHub Action runner we can run the required Podman commands from our Github workflow.

Requirements:

• Update (or for now add) workflow to run Podman commands to build the Podman images that will eventually run on the new server
• Update the Dockerfiles where needed
• Update (or for now add) workflow to run Podman commands to run (and therefore deploy) the Podman containers on the new server
• Move the Storybook jobs to its own workflow that still runs on Github's cloud runner? Update: it already is separate!
• Change DNS settings so that tst.amsterdammusiclab.nl will give us the frontend and /admin will give us the Django backend dashboard. *The DNS change has already been requested
• Configure it so that the application will be deployed after pushes to develop (or by a manual trigger) to the test environment using the test environment variables configured in Github.
• Verify that everything works and if not, fix things where necessary.

Describe alternatives you've considered

• I think we have talked of just building the frontend in GitHub Actions using a cloud runner with a basic yarn image. But having everything configured in Podman is more consistent, I guess.

Additional context

• We can draw inspiration from the AML blog that has already been podmanified.
• We aren't Podman connaisseurs, so please ask Auke for advice if you are stuck
• See also:
  • Investigate usage of Podman #570
  • Add registry info to image name in compose file #592
  • Work in progress: Podmanify MUSCLE applications to enable automatic CI/CD #722

[BeritJanssen]

When discussing with Auke, I thought we had a setup in mind where the images would also be built by the runner on the server.

[drikusroor]

When discussing with Auke, I thought we had a setup in mind where the images would also be built by the runner on the server.

That's correct and is also what will be happening. Did I describe it incorrectly or ambiguously somewhere?

[BeritJanssen]

No, all good! I misread your issue description.