docs: Update README for improved clarity and consistency

- Replace mascot image with a higher quality version.
- Streamline section headings for better readability.
- Remove emojis from section titles to maintain a professional tone.
- Clarify the FAQ section to better differentiate Gordon from reverse proxies.

commit: 210f2098c14ee5291eca09d7d161f228313222bc
author: bamen · 16mo ago · 2025-06-07 07:56 UTC
parent: 27d1268
signature: unsigned

1 file · +27 -23

M README.md +27 -23

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
1	1		# Gordon
2	2
3	3		<div align="center">
4		-	<img src="assets/gordon-mascot.png" alt="Gordon Mascot" width="200">
	4	+	<img src="assets/gordon-mascot-hq-trsp.png" alt="Gordon Mascot" width="200">
5	5		<h3>The Smart Way to Deploy Containers on Your VPS</h3>
6	6		<p><em>Push code → Auto-deploy → Zero complexity</em></p>
7	7		</div>

@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@
12	12
13	13		Gordon is the missing piece that makes container deployment on budget VPS servers as simple as expensive PaaS solutions. One binary, one config file, unlimited apps.
14	14
15		-	### 🎯 Perfect For
	15	+	### Perfect For
16	16
17	17		- Solo developers with multiple side projects on one VPS
18	18		- Small teams who want Heroku-like simplicity without the cost
19	19		- Agencies deploying client apps across VPS servers
20	20		- Anyone tired of complex deployment pipelines
21	21
22		-	## 🚀 How It Works
	22	+	## How It Works
23	23
24	24		### Build Locally, Deploy Instantly
25	25

@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ podman push registry.yourdomain.com/myapp:latest
37	37
38	38		No build servers. No CI/CD complexity. If it runs on your machine, it runs in production.
39	39
40		-	### 🔄 Instant Rollbacks
	40	+	### Instant Rollbacks
41	41
42	42		Something broke? Just change your config:
43	43

@@ -51,30 +51,30 @@ Something broke? Just change your config:
51	51
52	52		Save the file. Gordon redeploys the previous version. Problem solved in seconds.
53	53
54		-	## ✨ Key Features
	54	+	## Key Features
55	55
56		-	### 🏠 Local-First Development
	56	+	### Local-First Development
57	57		Your machine is the build server. Test locally with Podman's rootless containers, push when ready. No waiting for remote builds.
58	58
59		-	### 🏦 Built-in Container Registry
	59	+	### Built-in Container Registry
60	60		Your VPS becomes a private container registry (Docker/Podman compatible). No Docker Hub subscription needed.
61	61
62		-	### 🔄 Push-to-Deploy Magic
	62	+	### Push-to-Deploy Magic
63	63		Gordon watches for new images and deploys them instantly to configured domains.
64	64
65		-	### ⏮️ Version Control Built-In
	65	+	### Version Control Built-In
66	66		Keep multiple versions in your registry. Switch between them instantly by editing the config.
67	67
68		-	### 🌐 Multi-Domain Routing
	68	+	### Multi-Domain Routing
69	69		Run unlimited apps on one server. Each gets its own domain with automatic HTTPS via Cloudflare.
70	70
71		-	### 📦 Zero-Downtime Updates
	71	+	### Zero-Downtime Updates
72	72		Push new versions anytime. Gordon handles graceful container swaps.
73	73
74		-	### 🚀 Automatic Deployment
	74	+	### Automatic Deployment
75	75		Containers deploy instantly when you push new images. No manual deployment steps needed.
76	76
77		-	## 🚀 Quick Start (5 minutes)
	77	+	## Quick Start (5 minutes)
78	78
79	79		### 1. Get a VPS & Install Podman (Rootless & Secure)
80	80		```bash

@@ -192,7 +192,11 @@ sudo netfilter-persistent save
192	192		sudo ufw allow 22,80,443,8080/tcp
193	193		echo 'net.ipv4.ip_forward=1' \| sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
194	194		sudo sysctl -p
	195	+	```
195	196
	197	+	### 7. Deploy Your First App
	198	+	```bash
	199	+	# Now from your local development machine:
196	200		# Authenticate with your Gordon registry
197	201		podman login registry.yourdomain.com
198	202		# Use the username/password from your gordon.toml config

@@ -200,10 +204,10 @@ podman login registry.yourdomain.com
200	204		# Deploy your first app (using podman)
201	205		podman tag myapp:latest registry.yourdomain.com/myapp:latest
202	206		podman push registry.yourdomain.com/myapp:latest
203		-	# Visit https://app.yourdomain.com 🎉
	207	+	# Visit https://app.yourdomain.com
204	208		```
205	209
206		-	## 🎯 Real-World Examples
	210	+	## Real-World Examples
207	211
208	212		### Deploy a Node.js App
209	213		```bash

@@ -259,10 +263,10 @@ podman push registry.yourdomain.com/myapp:latest
259	263		"feature-xyz.yourdomain.com" = "myapp:feature-xyz" # Feature branch
260	264		```
261	265
262		-	## 🤔 FAQ
	266	+	## FAQ
263	267
264	268		Q: How is this different from Traefik/Nginx Proxy Manager?
265		-	A: Gordon includes a Docker registry and automatic deployment. Push an image, get a deployment. No manual container management.
	269	+	A: Those are just reverse proxies - you still need to manually start/stop containers. Gordon is a complete deployment platform: built-in registry, automatic deployment on push, and container lifecycle management. It's the difference between a router and a full PaaS.
266	270
267	271		Q: Where do builds happen?
268	272		A: On YOUR machine. If it runs locally, it'll run in production. No mysterious build server issues.

@@ -285,7 +289,7 @@ A: Runs comfortably on 1GB RAM VPS. Gordon itself uses <50MB.
285	289		Q: What about secrets?
286	290		A: Use environment variables in your container or Docker secrets. Gordon doesn't interfere.
287	291
288		-	## 💡 Philosophy: Build Local, Deploy Simple
	292	+	## Philosophy: Build Local, Deploy Simple
289	293
290	294		### Why No Build Servers?
291	295

@@ -304,7 +308,7 @@ push code → wait for build → hope it works → debug remotely → repeat
304	308		podman build locally → test locally → push image → instant deploy
305	309		```
306	310
307		-	## 🏗️ Architecture
	311	+	## Architecture
308	312
309	313		```
310	314		Your Machine → Docker Image → Gordon Registry → Auto-Deploy → Live App

@@ -320,7 +324,7 @@ Your Machine → Docker Image → Gordon Registry → Auto-Deploy → Live App
320	324		- Stateless: Configuration is the only state
321	325		- Fast: Written in Go for minimal overhead
322	326
323		-	## 🚀 Advanced Usage
	327	+	## Advanced Usage
324	328
325	329		### Container Runtime Configuration
326	330		```toml

@@ -365,11 +369,11 @@ curl -u admin:password https://registry.yourdomain.com/v2/_catalog
365	369		curl -u admin:password https://registry.yourdomain.com/v2/myapp/tags/list
366	370		```
367	371
368		-	## 🤝 Contributing
	372	+	## Contributing
369	373
370	374		Gordon is open source and we love contributions! Check out our [issues](https://github.com/yourusername/gordon/issues) or submit a PR.
371	375
372		-	## 📄 License
	376	+	## License
373	377
374	378		GPL-3.0 - Use freely, contribute back.
375	379

@@ -377,5 +381,5 @@ GPL-3.0 - Use freely, contribute back.
377	381
378	382		<div align="center">
379	383		<p><strong>Stop overcomplicating container deployment.</strong></p>
380		-	<p>Star ⭐ this repo if Gordon saves you money!</p>
	384	+	<p>Star this repo if Gordon saves you money!</p>
381	385		</div>⏎̸

 # Gordon
 <div align="center">
-  <img src="assets/gordon-mascot.png" alt="Gordon Mascot" width="200">
+  <img src="assets/gordon-mascot-hq-trsp.png" alt="Gordon Mascot" width="200">
   <h3>The Smart Way to Deploy Containers on Your VPS</h3>
   <p><em>Push code → Auto-deploy → Zero complexity</em></p>
 </div>
 Gordon is the missing piece that makes container deployment on budget VPS servers as simple as expensive PaaS solutions. One binary, one config file, unlimited apps.
-### 🎯 Perfect For
+### Perfect For
 - **Solo developers** with multiple side projects on one VPS
 - **Small teams** who want Heroku-like simplicity without the cost
 - **Agencies** deploying client apps across VPS servers
 - **Anyone** tired of complex deployment pipelines
-## 🚀 How It Works
+## How It Works
 ### Build Locally, Deploy Instantly
 **No build servers. No CI/CD complexity. If it runs on your machine, it runs in production.**
-### 🔄 Instant Rollbacks
+### Instant Rollbacks
 Something broke? Just change your config:
 Save the file. Gordon redeploys the previous version. Problem solved in seconds.
-## ✨ Key Features
+## Key Features
-### 🏠 Local-First Development
+### Local-First Development
 **Your machine is the build server.** Test locally with Podman's rootless containers, push when ready. No waiting for remote builds.
-### 🏦 Built-in Container Registry
+### Built-in Container Registry
 Your VPS becomes a private container registry (Docker/Podman compatible). No Docker Hub subscription needed.
-### 🔄 Push-to-Deploy Magic
+### Push-to-Deploy Magic
 Gordon watches for new images and deploys them instantly to configured domains.
-### ⏮️ Version Control Built-In
+### Version Control Built-In
 Keep multiple versions in your registry. Switch between them instantly by editing the config.
-### 🌐 Multi-Domain Routing
+### Multi-Domain Routing
 Run unlimited apps on one server. Each gets its own domain with automatic HTTPS via Cloudflare.
-### 📦 Zero-Downtime Updates
+### Zero-Downtime Updates
 Push new versions anytime. Gordon handles graceful container swaps.
-### 🚀 Automatic Deployment
+### Automatic Deployment
 Containers deploy instantly when you push new images. No manual deployment steps needed.
-## 🚀 Quick Start (5 minutes)
+## Quick Start (5 minutes)
 ### 1. Get a VPS & Install Podman (Rootless & Secure)
 ```bash
 sudo ufw allow 22,80,443,8080/tcp
 echo 'net.ipv4.ip_forward=1' | sudo tee -a /etc/sysctl.conf
 sudo sysctl -p
+```
+### 7. Deploy Your First App
+```bash
+# Now from your local development machine:
 # Authenticate with your Gordon registry
 podman login registry.yourdomain.com
 # Use the username/password from your gordon.toml config
 # Deploy your first app (using podman)
 podman tag myapp:latest registry.yourdomain.com/myapp:latest
 podman push registry.yourdomain.com/myapp:latest
-# Visit https://app.yourdomain.com 🎉
+# Visit https://app.yourdomain.com
 ```
-## 🎯 Real-World Examples
+## Real-World Examples
 ### Deploy a Node.js App
 ```bash
 "feature-xyz.yourdomain.com" = "myapp:feature-xyz"  # Feature branch
 ```
-## 🤔 FAQ
+## FAQ
 **Q: How is this different from Traefik/Nginx Proxy Manager?**
-A: Gordon includes a Docker registry and automatic deployment. Push an image, get a deployment. No manual container management.
+A: Those are just reverse proxies - you still need to manually start/stop containers. Gordon is a complete deployment platform: built-in registry, automatic deployment on push, and container lifecycle management. It's the difference between a router and a full PaaS.
 **Q: Where do builds happen?**
 A: On YOUR machine. If it runs locally, it'll run in production. No mysterious build server issues.
 **Q: What about secrets?**
 A: Use environment variables in your container or Docker secrets. Gordon doesn't interfere.
-## 💡 Philosophy: Build Local, Deploy Simple
+## Philosophy: Build Local, Deploy Simple
 ### Why No Build Servers?
 podman build locally → test locally → push image → instant deploy
 ```
-## 🏗️ Architecture
+## Architecture
 ```
 Your Machine → Docker Image → Gordon Registry → Auto-Deploy → Live App
 - **Stateless**: Configuration is the only state
 - **Fast**: Written in Go for minimal overhead
-## 🚀 Advanced Usage
+## Advanced Usage
 ### Container Runtime Configuration
 ```toml
 curl -u admin:password https://registry.yourdomain.com/v2/myapp/tags/list
 ```
-## 🤝 Contributing
+## Contributing
 Gordon is open source and we love contributions! Check out our [issues](https://github.com/yourusername/gordon/issues) or submit a PR.
-## 📄 License
+## License
 GPL-3.0 - Use freely, contribute back.
 <div align="center">
   <p><strong>Stop overcomplicating container deployment.</strong></p>
-  <p>Star ⭐ this repo if Gordon saves you money!</p>
+  <p>Star this repo if Gordon saves you money!</p>
 </div>⏎̸