v0.6: /deploy page — one-click Deploy to Render button + walkthrough

[unforced]

Phase 1 of the Render self-host arc (hub#257 meta-tracker).

Background

Once hub#258 (Dockerfile + render.yaml), vault Dockerfile, and the first-boot wizard land, the public-facing surface is a /deploy page on parachute.computer.

Scope

1. `/deploy/render/` (or similar URL) page on parachute.computer:
   • "Deploy to Render" one-click button linking to https://render.com/deploy?repo=. This requires a public deploy-template repo (probably `@openparachute/deploy` or a section of `parachute-hub`).
   • Walkthrough steps — what happens after clicking, how to point a custom domain, what env vars to set (initial admin password, optional), how long to wait.
   • What you get — hub + vault out of the box, optional scribe (with Whisper API key), Notes PWA at /notes/.
   • Limitations — free tier cold start, persistent disk cost (~$0.25/GB/mo), where things live.
2. Homepage update — surface the deploy option somewhere visible. Possibly a section on /install/ ("running on Render?") or a separate prompt in the hero.

Open

• Whether the deploy template lives in `parachute-hub` (`render.yaml` + Dockerfile in repo root, click-to-deploy at GitHub raw URL) OR in a separate `@openparachute/deploy` repo (cleaner separation; but extra repo to maintain). Decided: in `parachute-hub` per Aaron 2026-05-17.

Dependencies

• hub Dockerfile + render.yaml (hub#258)
• vault Dockerfile + cross-service-auth (vault#TBD — to be filed)
• first-boot wizard (hub#259) — for friction-free first-time experience

Tracked under v0.6 Render self-host milestone at hub#257.

[unforced]

Scope refinement (2026-05-18 — option A locked in for v0.6)

After committing to single-container hub-as-supervisor for v0.6 (see parachute-hub#257), the /deploy page becomes simpler:

One Deploy button, one repo: parachute-hub. No mention of "deploy vault too" or "wire services together" — the friend clicks one button, gets hub, then installs vault/notes/scribe from the admin SPA (via hub#260) after first boot.

Updated walkthrough:

1. Click Deploy — Render asks: fork parachute-hub, confirm Starter plan (~$7/mo + small disk).
2. ~2min provisioning — Render builds the hub container, mounts the disk, assigns a URL.
3. Open URL — first-boot wizard prompts for admin password.
4. Install vault — via wizard step or the empty-admin-SPA module install prompt.
5. Install notes + scribe as desired from the same admin module-mgmt UI.

Pricing pitch: "$7/mo on Render Starter, add as many modules as you want under the same plan." Verify Render's current pricing before publishing; reasonable to round to ~$10/mo including small disk.

Limitations section:

• Render free tier doesn't support persistent disks → Starter is required.
• Cold start: Starter doesn't spin down, so this is moot (free tier spin-down is the concern that doesn't apply here).
• Disk cost: ~$0.25/GB/mo on top of the $7 plan.

What this section does NOT say:

• Anything about deploying vault separately on Render (deprecated as primary path).
• Anything about multi-service blueprints / cross-service env wiring (irrelevant for option A).

Filing this comment as the cue for whoever builds this page so they don't accidentally reflect the older multi-container thinking from earlier drafts.