🌐 Chapter 1: Introduction

In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up your very own custom domain,domain and deploy a Ghost website using Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). The site will be served directly through an OCI Load Balancer, ensuring a secure, scalable, and production-ready environment.

By the end of this guide, you’ll know how to:

• 🛒 Register a domain name
• 🌐 Configure DNS zones in Oracle Cloud
• 🔀 Delegate your domain’s name servers to OCI
• 📦 Deploy Ghost using Docker containers
• ⚙️ Provision an OCI Load Balancer for traffic management
• 🔐 Implement SSL encryption with Let’s Encrypt and Certbot
• 🚀 Launch a fully operational and secure Ghost website

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🧭 Overview of the Setup Process

Here’s a high-level overview of the process:

1. 🏷️ Choose and register a domain name
2. 🧭 Set up DNS zones with Oracle Cloud (OCI)
3. 🔁 Redirect name servers
4. 🐳 Deploy a reverse proxy server with Docker
5. 🔐 Secure your domain with SSL (Let’s Encrypt + Certbot)
6. 🚀 Go live and look like a pro online!

🧭 Overview of the Domain Setup Process

Here’s the path to follow:

1. 🏷️ Choose a domain name and register it (we’ll use GoDaddy and Hostinger asexamples examples)included)
2. 🧾 Create an account on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) account
3. 🌍 CreateSet up a public DNS Zone in OCIzone for your domain in OCI
4. 🔄 RedirectUpdate your domain'domain’s Namename Servers (NS)servers to Oraclepoint to OCI
5. ⏳ Wait for DNS propagation (itto takescomplete
6. 🐧 Provision a bitVM ofinstance patience...)with Debian in OCI
7. 🐧💻 Set up aan DebianOracle serverLinux 7 instance using ARM architecture (recommended for cost-effective performance)
8. 🐳 Install and installconfigure Docker +to deploy Ghost and Nginx (or Nginx Proxy ManagerManager)
9. 📡 Configure the OCI Load Balancer to route traffic to your instance
10. 🛡️ SecureSet your domain withup SSL certificates using Certbot and Let’s Encrypt
11. ✅ TestValidate the configuration and go live withdeploy your brandsite newto secure domain!production