Migrating Remix Applications to Ampt

Remix, defined by the maintainers as a "centerstack", is a React framework that combines a Vite compiler with server-side-rendering capabilities. It's mainly used as an alternative to Next.js for building full stack web applications based on React. This guide will walk you through migrating an existing Remix application using the Ampt integration.

Prerequisites

• An existing Remix application (or create a new one)
• Basic understanding of Node.js, full stack apps, React, and Remix
• An Ampt account (sign up here)
• The Ampt CLI installed (run npm i @ampt/cli -g in your terminal)

Install the @ampt/remix adapter #

Navigate to the project folder and add @ampt/remix to your project using npm. This dependency is used to make the application compatible with AWS.

terminalCopy code
npm install @ampt/remix

Change the entry point of the application #

We need to change the entrypoint of the application to make it compatible with Ampt. Create an index.mjs file in the root of your project:

index.mjsCopy code
import "@ampt/remix";

Add/update the following line in your package.json:

package.jsonCopy code
{
  ...
  "main": "index.mjs",
  ...
}

Update the Vite configuration #

Add the following settings to your vite.config.ts file to ensure Ampt compatibility:

vite.config.tsCopy code
module.exports = {
  ignoredRouteFiles: ["**/.*"],
  appDirectory: "app",
  assetsBuildDirectory: "static",
  serverBuildPath: "build/index.js",
  publicPath: "/",
  serverModuleFormat: "cjs",
};

Add Scripts for Dev Mode and Build Step #

Ampt allows you to run the Remix dev server within the "Ampt context", giving you local access to remote resources in your developer sandbox. To enable this, add a ampt:dev script in your package.json as follows:

package.jsonCopy code
"scripts": {
   …
   "ampt:dev": "remix dev"
 }

This will let you start the local Remix development server by running dev in the Ampt shell or with the ampt dev command when starting the shell.

You also need to define an ampt:build script to run the remix build step. This script will be automatically run when you deploy the application to a permanent stage or to create a short-lived preview environment. It will also ensure access to remote resources during the build process.

package.jsonCopy code
"scripts": {
   …
   "ampt:build ": "remix build"
 }

Start building with Ampt #

That's it! We have completed all the steps necessary to migrate an existing Remix application to Ampt. You can start working on this application by running ampt in your project folder.

This will prompt you for an app name, and then create a new application in your Ampt account. You'll be connected to your dedicated developer sandbox with a unique URL. You must run build in the Ampt Shell to build the application and make it available via your developer sandbox's URL.

To start the local Remix development server, run dev within the Ampt Shell (or ampt dev). The Remix dev server will start up and display a localhost URL. You can now iterate on your Remix app and test locally, including accessing resources like params, events, data, and more in your developer sandbox. Remember to run build any time you want to update the Remix build and view it on the remote URL.

Note that the URL for your developer sandbox goes offline when you're not connected via the CLI. You need to deploy your application to a permanent stage to share your app with the world. Simply run deploy prod to deploy your application to a stage named prod. This command will automatically provision an isolated Ampt Environment on AWS and then build and deploy your Remix application.

Next Steps #

Congratulations! You can now use Ampt to leverage the full power of AWS and host your Remix application without complex configurations or managing infrastructure. Be sure to check out our docs to learn more about what's possible with Ampt. And be sure to join our discord to connect with other Ampt users.