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piku
Deploy apps via git push to any server, even Raspberry Pi
Piku lets you push code with git to run on low‑end ARM or Intel servers, handling dependencies, virtual hosts, SSL, and scaling with a simple Heroku‑like workflow.
Overview
What is Piku?
Piku is a tiny PaaS that lets you deploy applications to any POSIX‑compatible server— from a 256 MB Raspberry Pi to a cloud VM— using a simple git push workflow. It detects the runtime, creates isolated environments (virtualenv, GOPATH, node_modules, etc.), and launches processes via uwsgi while nginx handles routing, virtual hosts, and SSL.
Who is it for?
Ideal for hobbyists, educators, and small teams that need a low‑overhead, Heroku‑like experience without Docker. Piku runs on both ARM and Intel architectures, supports Python, Node, Java, Go, Clojure, Ruby and more, and can serve static sites or cache backend responses. Configuration is done through a Procfile and optional ENV file, and scaling is as easy as ps:scale.
Deploying is a matter of adding a remote, pushing code, and letting Piku manage dependencies, certificates, and process lifecycles. Because it relies only on standard tools (git, ssh, nginx, uwsgi) and a few Python packages, the codebase stays small and auditable.
Highlights
Git‑push deployments without Docker
Runs on low‑resource ARM devices like Raspberry Pi
Automatic runtime detection with isolated dependency management
Built‑in virtual host, SSL via Let’s Encrypt, and process scaling
Pros
- Works on low‑resource hardware
- Simple Heroku‑style workflow
- Supports multiple programming languages
- Minimal dependencies, easy to audit
Considerations
- Requires POSIX environment with Python, nginx, and uwsgi
- Feature set is largely frozen, fewer extensions than larger PaaS solutions
- No graphical UI; management is CLI‑centric
- Scaling limited to process count per host
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Fit guide
Great for
- Hobbyists deploying personal projects on a Raspberry Pi
- Educators teaching web app deployment in classrooms
- Small startups needing a cheap self‑hosted PaaS
- Edge devices that require lightweight app hosting
Not ideal when
- Enterprises requiring multi‑region high‑availability
- Teams needing an extensive plugin ecosystem
- Applications that depend on full container orchestration
- Environments lacking Python, nginx, or uwsgi
How teams use it
Personal blog on a home server
Deploy via git push and obtain automatic HTTPS for a static or dynamic blog.
IoT data collector on Raspberry Pi
Run a Python data‑ingestion app in an isolated virtualenv with minimal resource usage.
Classroom coding project
Students push Node.js apps, configure workers, and scale processes for collaborative learning.
Static site hosting with caching
Serve assets directly, map URL prefixes to filesystem paths, and reduce backend load.
Tech snapshot
Python94%
Shell5%
Makefile1%
Frequently asked questions
What programming languages does Piku support?
Piku currently supports Python, Node.js, Java, Go, Clojure, Ruby and can run any language that can be invoked from a shell.
Do I need Docker to use Piku?
No. Piku deploys applications directly using standard system tools without containerization.
How does SSL provisioning work?
Piku can generate a private certificate or automatically obtain one from Let’s Encrypt for each virtual host.
Can Piku run on Windows?
It can be used on Windows via Cygwin or the Windows Subsystem for Linux, provided the required Linux tools are available.
Is Piku still maintained?
Yes. The project is marked stable and receives updates for new runtimes and bug fixes.
Project at a glance
Active- Stars
- 6,533
- Watchers
- 6,533
- Forks
- 156
LicenseMIT
Repo age9 years old
Last commit2 days ago
Primary languagePython
Last synced yesterday