How to Deploy Static Assets with Dewy: Complete Configuration Guide

Dewy's assets command downloads versioned archives from supported registries, extracts them into a designated directory, and maintains an atomic current symlink that always points to the latest release without managing any server processes.

The linyows/dewy repository provides a lightweight deployment tool that treats static files as versioned artifacts. When you deploy static assets with Dewy, the tool polls your registry, caches downloads to prevent redundant network requests, and atomically updates file paths using a symlink-based release directory structure.

How the Dewy Assets Command Works

The Assets command mirrors the behavior of the server command but intentionally skips process management. Instead of starting or restarting services, it focuses solely on file system operations: downloading archives, verifying cache integrity, extracting contents to timestamped release directories, and atomically repointing the current symlink.

Deployment Architecture and Source Files

Dewy’s asset deployment pipeline consists of discrete components that handle specific responsibilities:

Component	Source File	Role in Asset Deployment
CLI Parser	cli.go:72-74	Detects the assets sub-command and initializes the configuration with Command = ASSETS.
Configuration	config.go	Stores the destination directory (Dir) and global options like cache paths.
Registry	registry/ghr.go	Queries the registry (e.g., GitHub Releases) via Current() to retrieve the latest artifact metadata.
Artifact	artifact/ghr.go	Downloads the static asset archive using the URL provided by the registry.
Cache	kvs/file.go	Persists downloaded artifacts to prevent redundant network requests.
Core Logic	dewy.go:302-304	Checks if the cached version matches the latest release; if not, extracts the archive and updates the current symlink.
Notifier	notifier/slack.go	Optionally sends deployment confirmations after successful asset updates.

The deployment flow follows these steps:

1. Poll registry → Current() returns the newest artifact metadata.
2. Cache check → If the cache already contains this version, Dewy logs "Deploy skipped" and returns (dewy.go:302).
3. Download → The artifact is fetched and stored in the cache (kvs/file.go).
4. Extract → The archive is unpacked into a timestamped release directory (releases/<ts>/).
5. Symlink → releases/<ts> becomes the new current link via atomic replacement.
6. Notify → The notifier sends confirmation that assets for the new tag are live.

Deploy Static Assets with Dewy: Practical Examples

The following examples demonstrate how to deploy static assets with Dewy using different configurations and deployment strategies.

Basic One-Shot Deployment

Execute a single deployment that pulls the latest release and exits:

dewy assets \
  --registry ghr://myorg/myfrontend \
  -d /var/www/html \
  -l info

This command downloads the archive from GitHub Releases (ghr://), extracts it to /var/www/html, and creates a current symlink pointing to the release directory.

Continuous Polling for Auto-Updates

For environments requiring automatic updates, run Dewy as a background process with an interval:

dewy assets \
  --registry ghr://myorg/myfrontend \
  -d /var/www/html \
  --interval 30s

Dewy checks the registry every 30 seconds. When it detects a new version, it downloads, extracts, and atomically switches the current symlink without downtime.

Slack Notifications for Asset Changes

Integrate notifications to alert your team when static assets update:

dewy assets \
  --registry ghr://myorg/myfrontend \
  -d /var/www/html \
  --notifier "slack://#deployments?title=MyApp&quiet=true"

When the deployment completes, Dewy sends a concise message to the specified Slack channel confirming the new version is live.

Container-Optimized Deployment with Custom Cache

In containerized environments, persist the cache to avoid re-downloading artifacts on every restart:

export DEWY_CACHEDIR=/app/cache
dewy assets \
  --registry ghr://myorg/myfrontend \
  -d /var/www/html

The cache directory at /app/cache/.dewy stores downloaded archives, ensuring fast restarts and reduced bandwidth usage.

Summary

Deploying static assets with Dewy provides an atomic, zero-downtime update mechanism for versioned file archives. The key takeaways include:

• The assets command treats static files as versioned artifacts, skipping process management while maintaining the same reliable deployment pipeline as the server command.
• Dewy uses a cache (kvs/file.go) to avoid redundant downloads and only triggers extraction when the registry reports a new version (dewy.go:302-304).
• The current symlink provides atomic updates, ensuring that web servers always serve a consistent set of files even during extraction.
• Integration with notifiers like Slack keeps teams informed of deployment status without manual monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

What archive formats does Dewy support for static assets?

Dewy supports standard compression formats including ZIP, tar.gz, and tar archives. The tool automatically detects the archive type during extraction in the core logic (dewy.go) and handles decompression appropriately regardless of the specific format provided by the registry.

How does Dewy handle failed asset deployments?

If the download or extraction fails, Dewy aborts the deployment before updating the current symlink. Because the symlink switch occurs only after successful extraction into a timestamped release directory (releases/<ts>/), a failed deployment leaves the existing current link untouched, preserving the previous working version of your static assets.

Can I use Dewy assets with private GitHub repositories?

Yes, Dewy supports private repositories through the GitHub Releases registry (registry/ghr.go). You must configure authentication using a GitHub token passed via environment variables or configuration. The registry implementation handles the authenticated API requests necessary to list releases and download artifacts from private repositories.

What is the difference between dewy server and dewy assets?

The server command manages long-running processes by downloading artifacts, extracting them, and restarting services when new versions appear. The assets command (cli.go:72-74) uses the same download and extraction pipeline but skips process management entirely, focusing solely on maintaining the current symlink for static file serving. Use server for applications requiring process supervision and assets for static websites or file bundles.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}