Build Commands

Overview

Build commands are the heart of VPS Deployer. Each project has an ordered list of shell commands that run sequentially during deployment.

Adding Commands

On the project details page:

1. Scroll to the Commands section
2. Enter your command
3. Click Add

Commands are numbered starting from 1 and execute in order.

Example Command Sequence

For a typical Node.js application:

1. git pull origin main
2. npm install
3. npm run build
4. pm2 restart app

For a Docker-based deployment:

1. git pull origin main
2. docker compose down
3. docker compose build
4. docker compose up -d

Important Rules

Each Command Runs Independently

Commands do not share state. A cd in command 1 will not affect command 2. If you need to change directories, chain it:

cd /var/www/myapp && npm install

Working Directory

All commands run inside the project workspace directory (<working-dir>/<project-id>/). This is where your repository is cloned.

PATH Environment Variable

Custom paths configured in Settings → Path Settings are prepended to the system $PATH. This allows you to use tools installed in non-standard locations (e.g., Node.js via nvm, custom binaries) without needing to specify full paths in your commands.

For example, if you add /home/user/.nvm/versions/node/v24.14.0/bin to Path Settings, you can simply use node instead of the full path.

Timeout

Each command has a 5-minute timeout. If a command runs longer than that, it’s killed with SIGKILL and the deployment is marked as failed.

Dangerous Commands

The following are blocked:

• rm -rf /
• shutdown
• reboot
• mkfs
• Fork bombs (:(){ :|:& };:)

This is a basic string-matching check, not a full security sandbox.

Exit Codes

• Exit code 0 = success, next command runs
• Non-zero exit code = failure, deployment stops

Reordering Commands

You can reorder commands through the UI. The sequence number determines execution order.

Editing Commands

Click on any command to edit it. Changes take effect on the next deployment.