How to create an Ubuntu VPS for a Python script
Create a small Ubuntu server on DigitalOcean, connect from your computer with an SSH key, and know what you are paying for and how to stop the charges.
12 min read
Servers & scripts.
Run scripts on a server, keep them running, and learn how to check logs and recover from failures.
16 articles
curl SSL certificate problem: fix trust without using --insecure
Separate a local CA-store problem from an expired, mismatched, or incomplete server certificate, and check the fix with verification still enabled.
5 min read
FastAPI 422 error: find the invalid field and fix the request
Read FastAPI's validation response, distinguish body and query errors, and fix a small request without disabling validation.
5 min read
FastAPI CORS: let your frontend read the API response
Allow one exact frontend origin in FastAPI, reproduce browser CORS behavior locally, and avoid treating CORS as authentication.
5 min read
FastAPI file upload: accept a small CSV with clear limits
Build a local CSV upload endpoint, return its row count, and give useful errors for empty, oversized or malformed files without trusting an uploaded filename.
5 min read
FastAPI example: build a small API and send your first request
Run a small FastAPI app locally, use its browser interface to request workshop availability, and understand the response before thinking about hosting.
5 min read
Linux disk full: find the cause before deleting files
Use read-only Ubuntu checks to locate the full filesystem, distinguish bytes from inode exhaustion, and find the directory responsible.
6 min read
Python dotenv: load .env settings without putting keys in code
Load a specific local .env file, validate a setting and keep credentials out of Git and API responses, with a small working Python example.
6 min read
Create a Python virtual environment on Windows and check it works
Give one local Python project its own environment, verify its Python and pip paths, and run a script without changing PowerShell security settings.
5 min read
How to run a Python script 24/7 on a VPS
Keep your Python script running after you close your laptop. Set it up once on an Ubuntu VPS, check its output, and learn how to stop and restart it.
15 min read
A README template for a Python script someone else needs to run
Write a short handover that covers prerequisites, input, the exact run command, expected output, errors, and stopping—then rehearse it in a clean folder.
5 min read
Streamlit file uploader: build a small CSV viewer
Upload a small CSV to a local Streamlit app, inspect its columns and rows, and catch common file problems without changing the original.
5 min read
Streamlit download button: export a filtered CSV report
Give a small Streamlit app a working CSV download, keep its filename and columns predictable, and verify that the saved report matches the selected rows.
5 min read
Streamlit secrets.toml: keep settings out of your app code
Load local Streamlit settings from secrets.toml, keep the file out of Git, and confirm configuration without displaying a credential.
5 min read
Streamlit showing old data? Refresh the right cache
Find why a local CSV still shows an old result, clear one cached loader, and distinguish cache expiry from automatically refreshing the browser.
5 min read
Streamlit session state: keep values across reruns
Keep a shortlist when Streamlit reruns your script, understand when session state resets, and add an explicit reset without losing unrelated settings.
4 min read