Add Docker containerization with GitHub Actions CI/CD pipeline

.env.example

@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# MongoDB Configuration
+MONGODB_URI=mongodb://mongo:27017/chatapp
+
+# JWT Configuration
+JWT_SECRET=change-this-to-a-secure-random-string
+JWT_EXPIRATION=3600
+
+# Cookie Configuration
+COOKIE_EXPIRATION=3600000
+
+# AWS S3 Configuration (for file uploads)
+AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-aws-access-key-id
+AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-aws-secret-access-key
+S3_BUCKET_NAME=your-s3-bucket-name
+AWS_REGION=us-east-1
+
+# Application Stage
+STAGE=prod

.github/workflows/docker-build-push.yml

@@ -0,0 +1,114 @@
+name: Build and Push Docker Images
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - develop
+    tags:
+      - 'v*.*.*'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - develop
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
+env:
+  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
+  IMAGE_NAME_BACKEND: ${{ github.repository }}/backend
+  IMAGE_NAME_FRONTEND: ${{ github.repository }}/frontend
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-push-backend:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Extract metadata for Docker (backend)
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME_BACKEND }}
+          tags: |
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=ref,event=pr
+            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}
+            type=sha,prefix={{branch}}-
+            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
+
+      - name: Build and push Backend Docker image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        with:
+          context: ./backend
+          file: ./backend/Dockerfile
+          push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+          # Build for multiple platforms only on version tags for faster CI
+          platforms: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') && 'linux/amd64,linux/arm64' || 'linux/amd64' }}
+
+  build-and-push-frontend:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    permissions:
+      contents: read
+      packages: write
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout repository
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
+        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
+
+      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
+        uses: docker/login-action@v3
+        with:
+          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
+          username: ${{ github.actor }}
+          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Extract metadata for Docker (frontend)
+        id: meta
+        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
+        with:
+          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME_FRONTEND }}
+          tags: |
+            type=ref,event=branch
+            type=ref,event=pr
+            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
+            type=semver,pattern={{major}}
+            type=sha,prefix={{branch}}-
+            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
+
+      - name: Build and push Frontend Docker image
+        uses: docker/build-push-action@v5
+        with:
+          context: ./frontend
+          file: ./frontend/Dockerfile
+          push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
+          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
+          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
+          cache-from: type=gha
+          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
+          # Build for multiple platforms only on version tags for faster CI
+          platforms: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') && 'linux/amd64,linux/arm64' || 'linux/amd64' }}

DOCKER.md

@@ -0,0 +1,210 @@
+# Docker Deployment Guide
+
+This guide explains how to build and deploy the Chat App using Docker and the automated GitHub Actions workflow.
+
+## Overview
+
+The Chat App consists of two main components:
+- **Backend**: NestJS application (port 3000)
+- **Frontend**: React application served by nginx (port 80)
+
+Each component has its own Dockerfile for building optimized production images.
+
+## GitHub Actions Workflow
+
+The repository includes an automated workflow (`.github/workflows/docker-build-push.yml`) that:
+
+1. **Builds Docker images** for both backend and frontend
+2. **Pushes images** to GitHub Container Registry (ghcr.io)
+3. **Tags images** appropriately based on the trigger:
+   - `latest` tag for the default branch (main)
+   - Branch name tags for branch pushes
+   - Semantic version tags for version tags (v*.*.*)
+   - PR tags for pull requests
+   - SHA-based tags for all builds
+
+### Triggering the Workflow
+
+The workflow automatically runs on:
+- Push to `main` or `develop` branches
+- Creation of version tags (e.g., `v1.0.0`)
+- Pull requests to `main` or `develop`
+- Manual trigger via GitHub Actions UI
+
+### Accessing Built Images
+
+After the workflow completes, images are available at:
+- Backend: `ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/backend:latest`
+- Frontend: `ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/frontend:latest`
+
+To pull and run the images:
+
+```bash
+# Pull images
+docker pull ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/backend:latest
+docker pull ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/frontend:latest
+
+# Run backend
+docker run -p 3000:3000 \
+  -e MONGODB_URI=mongodb://your-mongo-uri \
+  -e JWT_SECRET=your-secret \
+  ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/backend:latest
+
+# Run frontend
+docker run -p 80:80 ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/frontend:latest
+```
+
+## Local Docker Build
+
+### Building Images Locally
+
+To build the Docker images locally:
+
+```bash
+# Build backend image
+cd backend
+docker build -t chat-app-backend .
+
+# Build frontend image
+cd frontend
+docker build -t chat-app-frontend .
+```
+
+### Running Locally with Docker
+
+```bash
+# Run backend
+docker run -d \
+  --name chat-backend \
+  -p 3000:3000 \
+  -e MONGODB_URI=mongodb://localhost:27017/chatapp \
+  -e JWT_SECRET=your-secret-key \
+  -e AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID=your-aws-key \
+  -e AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=your-aws-secret \
+  -e S3_BUCKET_NAME=your-bucket \
+  chat-app-backend
+
+# Run frontend
+docker run -d \
+  --name chat-frontend \
+  -p 80:80 \
+  chat-app-frontend
+```
+
+## Docker Compose
+
+For easier local development and testing, use the included `docker-compose.yml`:
+
+```bash
+# Copy environment variables template
+cp .env.example .env
+
+# Edit .env with your configuration (REQUIRED: Set JWT_SECRET)
+nano .env  # or use your preferred editor
+
+# IMPORTANT: You MUST set JWT_SECRET in .env before starting
+# Generate a secure secret: openssl rand -base64 32
+
+# Start all services (backend, frontend, and MongoDB)
+docker-compose up -d
+
+# View logs
+docker-compose logs -f
+
+# Stop all services
+docker-compose down
+
+# Stop and remove volumes (WARNING: This deletes database data)
+docker-compose down -v
+```
+
+The docker-compose setup includes:
+- **MongoDB**: Database service with persistent volume
+- **Backend**: NestJS application connected to MongoDB
+- **Frontend**: React application served by nginx
+- **Health checks**: All services have health checks configured
+- **Automatic restart**: Services restart on failure
+
+Access the application:
+- Frontend: http://localhost
+- Backend API: http://localhost:3000
+- MongoDB: localhost:27017
+
+## Image Features
+
+### Backend Image
+- **Base**: node:20-slim (optimized for size)
+- **Multi-stage build**: Separate build and production stages
+- **Security**: Runs as non-root user (nestjs:nodejs)
+- **Health check**: Built-in health check endpoint
+- **Port**: 3000
+
+### Frontend Image
+- **Base Builder**: node:20-slim
+- **Base Production**: nginx:alpine (minimal size)
+- **Multi-stage build**: Build with Node, serve with nginx
+- **SPA Support**: Configured for React Router
+- **Health check**: nginx health check
+- **Port**: 80
+
+## Environment Variables
+
+### Backend Required Variables:
+- `MONGODB_URI`: MongoDB connection string
+- `JWT_SECRET`: Secret for JWT token generation
+- `AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID`: AWS credentials for S3
+- `AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY`: AWS credentials for S3
+- `S3_BUCKET_NAME`: S3 bucket for file uploads
+- `STAGE`: Environment stage (dev/prod)
+
+### Frontend Configuration:
+The frontend build includes the API endpoint configuration. Update the environment variables before building if needed.
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Build Issues
+- **Circular dependency**: The Dockerfiles automatically remove the circular `"backend": "file:"` and `"frontend": "file:"` dependencies from package.json
+- **Network timeouts**: Use `--legacy-peer-deps` flag (already included in Dockerfiles)
+- **Missing packages**: The build uses `npm install` without lock file to avoid corruption issues
+
+### Runtime Issues
+- **Backend won't start**: Check environment variables, especially `MONGODB_URI`
+- **Frontend 404 errors**: nginx is configured for SPA routing, check browser console for API errors
+- **Connection refused**: Ensure backend is accessible at the configured API endpoint
+
+## Production Deployment
+
+For production deployment:
+
+1. **Use version tags** instead of `latest`:
+   ```bash
+   docker pull ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/backend:v1.0.0
+   ```
+
+2. **Set proper environment variables** using secrets management
+
+3. **Use orchestration** (Kubernetes, Docker Swarm, or ECS) for:
+   - Auto-scaling
+   - Load balancing
+   - Health checks
+   - Rolling updates
+
+4. **Monitor logs**:
+   ```bash
+   docker logs -f chat-backend
+   docker logs -f chat-frontend
+   ```
+
+## GitHub Container Registry Authentication
+
+To push/pull from GHCR locally:
+
+```bash
+# Login to GHCR
+echo $GITHUB_TOKEN | docker login ghcr.io -u USERNAME --password-stdin
+
+# Pull private images
+docker pull ghcr.io/codingf0x/chat-app/backend:latest
+```
+
+The GitHub Actions workflow uses `GITHUB_TOKEN` automatically, no manual configuration needed.