completeddevops tools

Setup Server CLI Go

A minimal CLI tool written in Go to automate the setup of a personal Ubuntu server for backend development. It installs essential packages like SSH, Docker, tmux, and configures a secure environment for development — all through an interactive command-line interface.

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Timeline

June 2025 - June 2025

Technologies

10 technologies used

Status

completed • Featured

Key Highlights

Interactive CLI with selective tool installation for customized server setup

Complete Docker installation with all plugins and proper user configuration

Multi-platform builds with GoReleaser for Linux x86_64, ARM64, and macOS platforms

Automated release management with GitHub Actions and comprehensive package distribution

Essential development tools installation including tmux, git, curl, htop, ufw, and zsh

Built as part of a larger project to convert old laptop into a personal development server

Technologies Used

GoCLIDockerUbuntuLinuxGoReleaserSSHtmuxGitHub ActionsShell Scripts

Setup Server CLI Go

A minimal CLI tool written in Go to automate the setup of a personal Ubuntu server for backend development. This project emerged from my need to convert an old laptop into a development server and provides an interactive interface to install essential packages like SSH, Docker, tmux, and other development tools.

Key Features

Interactive CLI Experience

Menu Navigation: Choose between different installation categories
Selective Installation: Pick specific tools instead of installing everything
Progress Feedback: Real-time installation progress with emoji indicators
Flexible Selection: Install single tools, multiple tools, or everything with 1 2 3 or all syntax

Tool Support

System Tools: tmux, git, curl, htop, ufw, zsh
Docker Stack: Complete Docker installation with Engine, CLI, Buildx, Compose, and user configuration
SSH Server: Secure remote access setup

Technical Implementation

Go Benefits

Fast Execution: Compiled binary with minimal startup overhead
Cross-Platform: Native builds for Linux x86_64, ARM64, and macOS
Single Binary: No dependencies or runtime requirements
Memory Efficient: <10MB usage during execution

Development Learnings

Through this project, I gained experience with:

Go CLI Development: Cobra framework and command patterns
GoReleaser: Modern release management with multi-platform builds
Package Distribution: DEB/RPM packages and GitHub releases
Cross-compilation: Targeting multiple platforms from single codebase

Usage Example

🚀 Server Setup CLI
Choose an option:
1. Install accessories
2. Install Docker
3. Exit
Enter your choice (1-3): 1

Choose accessories to install:
1. tmux  2. git  3. curl  4. htop  5. ufw  6. zsh
Enter numbers (e.g. 1 3 5) or 'all': 1 3 5

Installing tmux... ✅ Done
Installing curl... ✅ Done
Installing ufw... ✅ Done

Release Management

Each release provides multi-platform support:

Linux: x86_64 and ARM64 builds
macOS: Intel and Apple Silicon builds
Packages: DEB and RPM for Linux distributions
Checksums: SHA256 verification for security

Project Context

This tool addresses the workflow of converting old hardware into development servers by:

Reducing manual setup time from hours to minutes
Ensuring consistent environment across server instances
Codifying server setup knowledge for future reference
Providing reliable, repeatable configuration process

Links

Repository: github.com/ptt3199/setup-server-go-cli
Latest Release: GitHub Releases

This project represents my journey into Go development and CLI tool creation, while solving the real-world problem of efficient server setup automation.