Own Your Stack

The Guide for Small PHP Teams

Stop fighting your infrastructure. Start shipping.

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Own Your Stack book cover

The Problem

You search "PHP deployment" and get told to learn Docker, set up Kubernetes, implement GitHub Actions pipelines, and adopt GitOps practices.

Most small teams don't need any of this.

You don't need Netflix's infrastructure. You need to ship your application, keep it running, and sleep at night knowing you can fix things when they break.

What Makes This Different

Opinionated

I make decisions so you don't have to research every option. When there's a better way, I tell you.

Complete

From local development to production operations. Not just "how to deploy" but "how to run the whole thing."

Self-Hosted

Your code runs on your servers, free from vendor lock-in, per-seat pricing, and surprise bills.

Anti-Complexity

Every tool has a cost. This guide adds only what you need and explains what to skip.

Practical

Copy-paste configs, working scripts, checklists you can actually use. No theory without application.

28 Chapters + 8 Appendices

Development Environment

  • PHPStorm Setup
  • SSH Authentication

Server Foundation

  • VPS Initial Setup
  • Nginx Configuration
  • Directory Structure and Permissions
  • MySQL Setup

Deployment

  • Rsync Deployment
  • Database Migrations
  • Zero-Drama Zero-Downtime

Self-Hosted Git and Code Review

  • Gitea Installation
  • Repository Management
  • Pull Requests and Code Review
  • Gitea Actions

Operations

  • VPS Health Monitoring
  • Log Management
  • Application Error Tracking
  • Uptime Monitoring
  • Backup Strategy
  • Disaster Recovery
  • Ongoing Security
  • Intrusion Awareness

Day-to-Day Workflow

  • Local Development Consistency
  • Staging Environment
  • Cron Jobs
  • Email Sending
  • Performance Basics
  • Complete Workflow Example
  • What Not to Add

Appendices

  • SSH Config Examples
  • Nginx Config Templates
  • Deploy Script Templates
  • Phorge Configuration Reference
  • Troubleshooting Common Issues
  • GitLab CI/CD with Self-Hosted Runner
  • Phorge Code Review Platform
  • Security Quick Reference

Who This Is For

You should know PHP and be comfortable in a terminal. You don't need prior DevOps experience.

Who This Is NOT For

One-Time Cost, Permanent Skills

Server management platforms like Laravel Forge charge $19/month. GitHub Team is $4/user/month. These add up, and you're still dependent on someone else's infrastructure.

This guide is $59 once. You learn to do it yourself, and the skills transfer to every project you work on from here on out.

Get the Guide

  • 28 chapters of practical deployment knowledge
  • DRM-free PDF, yours to keep
  • Battle-tested techniques from real deployments
$59 Get the Guide

About the Author

Fanis Hatzidakis has been programming in PHP for over 25 years, working in small teams from junior developer through senior roles to leading development teams. After trying higher-complexity deployments like Kubernetes, he chose simple self-hosted solutions. They serve tens of millions of requests per day without the operational overhead.

This guide distills that experience into a practical workflow for teams who want to ship software, not manage infrastructure.