# Host company website with Flask: object-stored public media

## Summary

Deploy a company website built with Flask on Ample using the public media library pattern. Compute runs the app in an isolated microVM behind a public HTTPS URL, a managed PostgreSQL 16 database is auto-provisioned and injected as DATABASE_URL, a private S3-compatible bucket holds objects with credentials delivered as encrypted environment variables, and a published bucket serves public assets from the CDN host. Verified on Flask: an object written to a published bucket with an immutable Cache-Control header, a mapping row, and the CDN URL serving it publicly.

## Infrastructure requirements

- **Compute**: verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)
- **Postgres**: verified (Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.)
- **S3-compatible object storage**: verified (Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.)
- **CDN**: verified (The CDN host serves objects from published buckets. It does not front app compute and is not a cache or key-value store.)

## Prerequisites

- A Flask project that builds and starts with the documented commands (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress from app.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template)
- A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime (auto-provisioned when omitted, or supplied with --env)
- A bucket from `ample bucket create` with its credentials passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables and a second, published bucket for public assets (CDN_*)
- An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read

## Exact tested configuration

- template: `python-3.12`
- runtime: `python`
- size: `s-1vcpu-1gb`
- install: `python3 -m pip install --target .ample/python -r requirements.txt`
- start: `PYTHONPATH=.ample/python:${PYTHONPATH:-} python3 app.py`

## Steps

1. **Build and start.** pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress from app.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template. The server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.
2. **Implement the pattern on PostgreSQL.** The fixture's module implements public media library: an object written to a published bucket with an immutable Cache-Control header, a mapping row, and the CDN URL serving it publicly. Copy the approach into your schema; keep migrations idempotent and run them with --release-command.
3. **Wire object storage.** Create the bucket(s), then pass endpoint, region, bucket and keys as --env values. Use path-style addressing. Keep private data in an unpublished bucket. Publish only the bucket that serves public assets and reference its CDN URL.
4. **Deploy.** Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result (exit 0 live, 1 failed, 2 blocked). Re-running with no change is a no-op.
   ```
   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --start "python3 app.py" --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=... --env CDN_PUBLIC_URL=...
   ```
5. **Verify.** Fetch the live URL and the pattern self-test route(s) (/p/public-media-library) from the example; then run your own checks. On failure read `ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build` then `--kind runtime`.
   ```
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

## Tested examples

- **Flask pattern fixture** (tests/deploy-canaries/flask-patterns): Multi-pattern Flask app whose public media library module was checked live; the module is under tests/deploy-canaries/_pattern-modules.

## Success checks

- app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary flask patterns)
- public-media-library self-test (`/p/public-media-library` on the live URL, expect a CDN URL whose content is served publicly)

## Limitations

- Verified on the python-3.12 template at s-1vcpu-1gb with the example fixture; other sizes, templates and Flask major versions are not verified.
- The company website itself (your media processing, object layout and cache policy) is application code and was not separately tested; the pattern checks are what was verified.

## Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision a1b8c38919e59cd035ebabaced73cf84ece24371).
- app server x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD
- managed PostgreSQL database x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD

## Verification evidence

- canary_run on 2026-09-21T01:14:18Z at revision `50dbac567d2c5cc8e55e6c748a646be0025d9cfb-dirty (CLI 0.1.21)`: Flask pattern fixture deployed on Ample; checks passed for public-media-library and configuration-secrets.

## Input schema

```json
{
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "properties": {
    "env": {
      "description": "Encrypted environment variables (bucket credentials, secrets)",
      "items": {
        "pattern": "^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*=.*$",
        "type": "string"
      },
      "maxItems": 50,
      "type": "array"
    },
    "name": {
      "description": "App name",
      "maxLength": 63,
      "minLength": 1,
      "pattern": "^[a-z0-9-]+$",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "path": {
      "description": "Project directory or ample.toml service",
      "maxLength": 512,
      "minLength": 1,
      "type": "string"
    },
    "release_command": {
      "description": "Migration command run before activation",
      "maxLength": 512,
      "type": "string"
    },
    "start": {
      "description": "Start command (Python apps pass one explicitly)",
      "maxLength": 512,
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "env",
    "name",
    "path",
    "start"
  ],
  "type": "object"
}
```

## Next actions

- Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin)
- Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin)
- Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin)
- Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin)
- Browse Company website (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/workload%3Acompany-website on the api origin)
- Browse Flask (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-flask on the api origin)
- Browse Public media library (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Apublic-media-library on the api origin)
- Browse Deploy web app (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Adeploy-web-app on the api origin)